Bonds of Love
by DarkEnvy97
Summary: Her mom was the queen of the celestial spirit world and her dad was just a human. Many years later after her mom passed Lucy Heartfilia comes across some old manuscripts that detailed an alliance made long ago between the humans, the spirit realm and the dragons, only to be complete by a certain union of two young children. Please be kind.. this is my first ever fan fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

She had always been alone. It had been her unfortunate lot in life to lose her mother at an age when she could hardly remember her. Her father tried his best in the face of such devastation, but eventually became an unapproachable man who also ended up disappearing from her life. In her stead she had been raised by her mother's loyal friends and servants, though to Lucy Heartfilia they weren't servants at all. They were her teachers, caregivers, and most importantly, they were the closest thing she had to family, however, they were all celestial spirits. It was because of this small detail that Lucy had few relationships with humans, and only really with those that kept her parents' mansion in working order. She didn't mind though, she was just as close to them as she was to her celestial friends.

She was the sole heir to the Celestial Queen's throne, making her the princess of the Celestial Spirit Realm. Unfortunately that title didn't entail her any special powers, and as far as politics go celestial spirits are actually quite peaceful and rarely needed any "queenly" intervention. To her knowledge, the Queen was really only needed when it came to matters that dealt outside the spirit realm. Lucy had been fortunate enough that during her lifetime the Celestial Spirit King was acting as regent until she was ready and willing to take her mother's throne therefore, she had never really had to perform any of those duties herself. Lucy was however quite special, for she was the product of a celestial being and her human lover. It was uncommon for humans and spirits to have romantic relationships, though it certainly wasn't unheard of. What was truly unorthodox was for them to get married and produce a child.

Lucy Heartfilia was said offspring. Her parents had met long ago and had fallen deeply in love. They decided to follow their hearts and be together always despite the differences in their realms and lives.

Lucy had no idea why she was suddenly thinking of her parents' history. Her mind was definitely in the clouds today, and apparently while she was off in her own world her body had subconsciously steered her to the great mansion's two storied library. It had been a long, long time since she had been there on a whim. She decided to take full advantage of her free time and she pushed one of the giant double doors in.

The library was well light, with bookshelves that lined the walls of both floors and they all reached to the top of the ceilings. On the far side of the library, opposite the double doors, there were giant windows that made up the wall in that part of the library. She always found solace among books, and she wondered internally why she hadn't been here in a while.

Lucy breathed in the scent of the library deeply as she started browsing through the bookshelves. Despite her love for all books it was to her utter dismay that she still wasn't familiar with every single book in this library. She ran her hands over the spines of the all the books she saw with no particular book in mind when she came across a peculiar title. _Celestial Alliance_ it read. _Huh, interesting_ she thought. She had never heard of a celestial alliance before. Curiosity got the best of her and she carefully slid the book out of its niche on the shelf.

Opening the book, Lucy saw that on the front page there was a neatly hand written note telling its reader to also look into several other books for more in depth history and references. According to the note these books contained vital information about the supposed Celestial Alliance. Intrigued, she went and gathered all the required books and even some old manuscripts. She carefully put the old papers neatly around her and quickly began reading, quite eager to find out about this mysterious Celestial Alliance.

The alliance had been forged for the protection of both realms and all those that inhabited them against the wrath of Acnologia, should he ever return. It had been many centuries since the dreaded Dragon of Desruction had laid waste to the kingdoms of Earthland. Then, as legend goes, he just vanished and the only proof of his existence was the ruin and sorrow that he left behind. It had been prophesized long ago that when the celestial realm and the human realm were united in one body that the feared and dreaded Acnologia would return and only by the bonds of true, unadulterated love would he be vanquished.

Taking it upon themselves, the leaders of the humans, the spirits, and the dragons devised a plan to better their odds. They decided to have the celestial princess, in whom both the celestial and human worlds collided, and the dragon prince fall in love. By doing so, and with the armies of Earthland behind them, they could finally be rid of Acnologia once and for all, but it was not to be. Not long after the alliance was forged disaster struck for all involved and their plan and the alliance was all but forgotten.

Along with the books and documents that detailed the alliance and her betrothal, Lucy found a thick envelope with her name elegantly written on the front. It had never been opened and the wax seal was still intact, figuring that it could only belong to her she carefully ripped open the envelope. Inside she found a letter in handwriting that she had not seen for a very, very long time, and accompanied with the letter were odd golden keys with markings that were all too familiar to her. She began to read the letter, tears already pooling in her eyes.

_My dearest daughter_,

_If you are reading this know that I love you and I'm so sorry that I can no longer be with you. I wished for us to have a long and happy life together and that I could show you my world as well as your father's. We knew from the moment of your birth that you were special and unique, for there has never been anyone quite like you, my darling. You are the child from a union of both the spirit world and the human world. You are truly blessed, my child. But know that with this blessing comes a heavy burden, for your birth marked a time of peril to come. Within your lifetime the monster Acnologia will return and it has been foretold that only by your bonds of love will he be vanquished._

_My daughter, it was never my wish to do so and I ask your forgiveness now, but in light of these words we betrothed you to the strongest ally possible. It was never our wish to take away your right to love and choose our own partner. Please know it was the hardest thing I've done as Queen of the Celestial Realm. You are to marry the son of the Dragon King Igneel, it is our hope that you two will learn to love each other and through your bonds of love we will all be saved. _

_I've enclosed 10 of our 12 strongest friends' keys. May they help you on your journey and in this battle._

_I will always love you my Lucy._

**Hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! I have a lot more written out, but I'm so new at this, that I'm not sure if I should even type it out. Let me know what you guys think please! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you guys are enjoying my little story. I have plenty written in a comp book that I write in at work..it's transcribing that takes me some time. My goal is to post a chapter every week or so.

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It was with tears streaming down her face that Lucy's attention now diverted back to the golden objects in her hand. Keys. They were keys. They had zodiac symbols on them. Why were her friends' symbols on these olden keys? Slowly standing up and using the expansive bookshelf to steady her movements Lucy left the library leaving a stack of papers and several open books behind her. Turning the corner right outside the library she ran into her eccentric maid and friend, Virgo.

"There you are, Princess. We've been looking everywhere for you."

"Oh… Virgo. Hi" Lucy answered distractedly.

"Princess? Is something the matter?"

"I, um… I, uh. I'm not really sure, but I found this, and these were with it." Lucy showed Virgo the envelope and the golden keys with somewhat shaky hands. Unable to keep her emotions in check any longer she fell to her knees sobbing and shaking and clutching the keys closely to her chest.

"I'm sorry Virgo, I'm sorry. I'm making a mess. I just found out so much about mom and… and I…" Her voice broke and with that she choked up again and more sobs shook her body and anything else she wanted to say was drowned away.

"Princess? It might be best if you sat down. I'll bring you some tea." Virgo picked Lucy up from the ivory tiled floor and led her to one of the Heartfilia mansion's many drawing rooms, leaving her there momentarily. When she came back she seemed to have everyone in tow! Leo, Sagittarius, Aries, Taurus, Aquarius, everyone was there!

"Why are you all here?" Lucy asked, wiping her tear stained as Virgo set a steaming hot cup of tea in front of her.

"Because, Lady Lucy, it's time that you knew everything and left this mansion to fulfill your late mother's wishes," Capricorn responded.

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Lucy sat enraptured as mostly Capricorn and Leo told her everything she had just found out but with more vivid detail. Then how all of a sudden everything also fell apart beginning with Queen Leila's death and Igneel's disappearance. Not long after their involuntary disinvolvement, the alliance was forgotten and never carried out therefore, Lucy had now just found out and Igneel's son, wherever he was, was none the wiser.

"So you see Lady Lucy you now have to go and find a way to fulfill your mother's dying wish. Try and find those to help you get rid of Acnologia and should you find Igneel's son, the Dragon Prince, marry him."

"Marry him?! You still think I'm expected to marry him? I think the circumstances have changed a little, don't you Capricorn?!" she said panicking.

"It is your duty as princess of our world to carry out the late Queen's last requests Miss Lucy," he responded. To her complete dismay all the others nodded their consent with his words, and deep down she knew that they were right. She had to see this through, for her mom at least.

"Ok. Ok. You're all right, so what should I do? Oh, what about these golden keys? I've never seen them before but they each have one of your symbols?" She picked up one of the keys resting next to the now cold tea.

"That's because they are our keys" responded Leo. "As you know, in the rest of Earthland there are many forms of magic used. Some of that is celestial spirit magic and these keys allow humans to make contracts with spirits. Long ago your late mother, the Queen, collected as many as she could to help you when you left. We-" he motioned to the rest of the group "are those golden zodiac keys."

"What about the other two? She asked, knowing full well that Libra and Pisces were not among these keys and whom she'd maybe met once or twice.

"Ah. Their keys belong to a very beautiful young lady and that's why their keys aren't here. But when it is time they will show up to support their princess." Lucy rolled her eyes at Leo's answer. He just couldn't help himself around beautiful women…or women in general for that matter.

"But what do I need keys for? You guys are here all the time. I've never needed them before, why now?"

"Because your mother wanted you to be raised with knowledge of our spirit world and she wanted to live with your father. She decided that the best way to do that was to create a rift between the two dimensions in this mansion, which is why we can be here without being summoned. When you leave here, you will need to take those keys with you" Capricorn stated very matter-of-factly.

"Also, Princess, it will help with your cover! You will be a celestial wizard," chimed in Virgo.

"Yes, you can't go telling everyone that you're the celestial princess" said Leo who, like everyone else, was now lounging about the drawing room.

"I guess you're right about that...hmm…so the sooner we leave the better, right?"

"Pretty much. Do you know where you're gonna start?"

"I'm not sure Leo." Then suddenly her eyes shined brightly with the perfect plan. "I know! I'll join a guild! Not just any guild either! I'll join Fairy Tail! I've always heard great and magnificent stories about their powerful wizards! That's where I'll start!" She was so excited that she could hardly contain herself, she had always admired the Fairy Tail guild and now she'd get to be a part of the renowned group.

"Can we go now? This is so boring and I have to go get ready for our date" interjected Aquarius. Her snarky comments never failed.

"Oh, uh, yeah, yeah! You guys didn't have to stick around for everything!"

"Finally!" and with that Aquarius left and so did everyone else, but not without Aries apologizing several times.

Lucy was now left by herself in the drawing room where the evening light was slowly waning. She left the drawing room and went to her bedroom and straight for a shower. She really wanted to think everything through and a shower always seemed to work in that respect. Lucy really was excited at the prospect of joining her absolute favorite guild, but her grim future was weighing down in her. Plus! She had to get married to a man she had never even met! Assuming she found him, of course… How was love supposed to fix all of this anyway?! She'd never even had a boyfriend, a fact that Aquarius never let her forget. She looked down at her wrinkly fingers and decided that it was time to get out. Turning off the water she grabbed a fluffy towel, courtesy of Aries, and wrapped it around her slender yet voluptuous figure. Lucy climbed into bed not bothering with clothes, because really who was going to come in while she slept?

That night the anxiety crept into her dreams and she dreamt of dragons and a journey to join a guild where she might not be welcome at all. It was a fitful night and she awoke not feeling rested at all.

The next day Virgo helped her get ready for their travels, which was really quite unhelpful because Virgo insisted on the most impractical and flashy celestial outfits. In the end Lucy just packed a couple of skirts, some tank tops, several thigh highs, and lastly her favorite pair of boots. She felt ready, and there was not time to waste. Deciding to leave the very next morning, she invited her celestial friends for one last banquet since she wasn't sure when they would all be together again. She asked the staff to make all of the household favorites and also invited them to join in the night's festivities. Everyone was so excited and a little sad at the same time. This adventure marked a big change in all of their lives.

Before the banquet, Lucy want back to the library to gather all the manuscripts and the copy of the treaty. She had a feeling that they would come in handy, and if she should ever cross paths with Igneel's son she would need substantial proof of their parent's arrangement. She grabbed all she needed and went up to her room to put the papers neatly and carefully in her pack.

That night Lucy let Virgo dress her in the fanciest celestial outfit that she could find. This was, after all, a spectacular feast they were attending. She couldn't remember the last time they all had this much fun. Leo was even on his best behavior! He only came up to her once to tell her how beautiful and marvelous she looked. The food was amazing and they all ate a little more than they should have. Virgo even danced for them all.

Later that night Lucy went to bed ready to face this adventure that had been placed before her. After all, she could do anything with the help of her friends.

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Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know it was a little slow, but it gets better I promise... I hope. Please let me know what you guys think! Thanks again for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey Guys! I'm sooo soo sorry that this has taken two months! My work and personal life have been nothing short of crazy. This is a short chapter, just something to put out there.. things have settled and hopefully I will be updating more frequently again.

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Lucy woke up startled at her unfamiliar surroundings. Then she remembered, she was on a train on her way to the city of Magnolia to find and join the Fairy Tail guild. Despite the anxious excitement that ran through her body a feeling of loneliness washed over her and she immediately clutched the keys that hung from her belt for some sense of comfort. Even though they weren't physically there, she felt instantaneous ease knowing that her friends were with her.

It had only taken one quick lesson to learn how the keys worked. She was told that she couldn't summon them all at once because even as the princess of the celestial realm, she was still half human and there were still limitations to her magic power. She would have to play with her limit, however, because she had never needed to delve into her magic power due to the dimensional rift in her parents' mansion. Capricorn, being the most meticulous of them all, warned her to use caution in the beginning and with any signs of fatigue to close their gates. He assured her that they would all understand and that they would help her through this until she was sufficiently aware of her new restrictions.

As the train rumbled to a stop Lucy began gathering her few belongings that included a book and a small suitcase. She tapped the keys on her hip once more for good measure and slowly made her way off the train and into the bustling platform of Magnolia's only train station. Finally off the train she noticed that the train station was actually quite large and housed many platforms, some which had trains and many which didn't. Making her way towards the exit of the station that lead into the city something caught her eye. She looked again unsure of what she saw the first time and sure enough, it was a flying blue cat talking to a pink haired boy.

"C'mon Natsu! We'll never make it if you don't get on!" pleaded the cat.

"Can't we find another way? I hate trains Happy" replied the boy sullenly.

"You know this is the fastest way, plus this is a pretty short ride according to Erza."

Lucy didn't hear more of that conversation as she slowly made her way away from them and the duo boarded the train, although the boy was entirely reluctant. The scene made her giggle. Was it really possible to hate trains _that _much? She hoped that she could see him again now that she would be living in this town, he was entirely attractive. It was an errant thought that she allowed herself to indulge in because, in all honestly, what were the odds that she would ever see the pink hair boy with the flying cat ever again?

According to all that she'd read, the Fairy Tail Guild Hall was not hard to find. It was on the other side of town as the station, facing the ocean. She just needed to keep going straight…theoretically. A knot was building deep in the pit of her stomach as she mulled over this sudden and rash decision and how close she was to its fruition. _What if they don't accept me? What if they don't like me? What am I going to do then? I can't do this alone! _No sooner had these thoughts run through her head when suddenly she was on the ground, her book sprawled on the cobblestone street and she was looking straight at another set of bewildered eyes that belonged to a girl about her age.

"I'm so sorry!" said the blue haired girl. "I really need to pay more attention to where I'm walking. I was just so wrapped up in my book and I didn't even care to look up and then-"

"No, no, no" Lucy said, raising her hands apologetically. "I wasn't paying attention either… I was so lost in my own thoughts" she said standing up, giving the girl a hand and her book back. She managed to put her own book back in her purse to avoid any more mishaps.

"Thank you so much! I really am sorry! My name's Levy, are you new in town?"

"Hi, I'm Lucy. Is that painfully obvious?" she replied sheepishly.

"A little" she giggled. "I've just never seen you around. What brings you to Magnolia?"

"Oi, short stuff. Where are you?" Lucy looked behind Levy to see a tall, muscular, and mean-looking guy, covered in piercings walking up to them with a scowl on his face.

Immediately the bluenette perked up. "Oh Gajeel! This is Lucy."

"Hmph"

"We kinda ran into each other" said Levy with a giggle. They made such an odd yet adorable pair thought Lucy.

"Oh…um well I was looking for the wizard guild hall that's supposed to be in Magnolia" she said, hoping that by some miracle they could point her in the right direction.

"Oh! Cool! We're going there now, aren't we Gajeel? Are you a wizard?" She said excitedly. She was practically leaping with joy.

"Yeah, yeah… I guess I am." Lucy stammered as she pulled out her precious golden keys.

"No way! You're a celestial wizard! I've never met one before. Well c'mon, let's go! The master would love to meet you!" Levy exclaimed as she grabbed Lucy's free hand with her own. All three wizards walked along the street and as Levy and Lucy got better acquainted, Lucy noticed that Gajeel walked a little further behind but her never took his eyes off the blue haired girl.

Soon she could see it. It was magnificent. The building towered above all those that surrounded it, and even from where they were standing Lucy could hear the boisterous laughter and noise. Oh how she desperately longed to be a part of this guild.

Reluctantly Lucy followed Levy and Gajeel up to the front of the guild as everyone stopped to stare at the new arrival then quickly went back to their own business.

"Master! I've brought someone that would like to meet you." Levy said to the old man sitting on the bar as Gajeel took a seat elsewhere.

"Oh? And who might this be?" He said with half closed eyes that examined Lucy from head to toe.

"I'm Lucy, sir. I'd… I'd like to become a member of Fairy Tail please!" It all just sort of spilled out. So ungraceful… Capricorn would be displeased.

"Come here child." Lucy stepped forward to be really being scrutinized by the old man.

"You have a good heart, my girl. Mira Jane bring the stamp."

"Of course Master!" replied the beautiful young woman that had been at his side. She came back and after asking Lucy where she wanted it, stamped the Fairy Tail guild emblem on the back of her right hand.

"So" asked Mira Jane "what kind of magic do you use?"

"I can't believe it" Lucy said with tears of joy in her eyes as Levy hugged her. "I didn't think it'd be as easy as this. I'm so happy!" she exclaimed wiping fresh tears.

"Congrats Lulu!" said Levy. _Huh. Lulu._ No one had ever called her that before. She really liked it, somehow it felt right, it made her feel like she belonged.

"Umm.. I'm a celestial wizard" she finally responded, and with that she was surrounded. Everyone that had been laughing and watching with interest had gotten up to introduce themselves and welcome her to Fairy Tail. Lucy felt so relieved and welcome and she couldn't wait to meet everyone. Already she wasn't quite so lonely and she was sure that with Fairy Tail's help she could carry out her mother's last wish.

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Thanks for reading! Sorry again for the horrendous wait!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! DarkEnvy here! Back with another chapter for your enjoyment :) no more 2 month wait haha! Longer chapter but not with too much action, more like an intermediate step.

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The next day Lucy went to the guild early in the morning, she had managed to get a room at an inn for the night but she knew that she needed to ask around for a cheap apartment. She was also eager to really get to know everyone else in the guild. So far she had met two older men that seemed to always be there drinking and smoking, one other that said the word "manly" one too many times, a woman that could drink her weight in liquor, Mirajane, the Master, Gajeel and of course, Levy. Last night Levy had also promised to help her scour the papers in search of someplace suitable to her budget and also provide a proper tour of Magnolia.

Today there seemed to be new faces in the guild that had not been there the day before. She couldn't help but notice an odd couple. A blue haired girl who showed too much affection and the half-naked guy who seemed to want absolutely none of that attention, but had neither the will nor heart to tell her to stop.

"Oh that's Gray and Juvia" Levy said as she walked over and sat next to her. "Are you ready Lulu? I'm going to be just a few minutes if that's alright with you."

"Oh no! Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You're already doing me a huge fav-"she trailed off when the bright sun blinded her as the door opened. She turned from the rising Levy to look at the door and there she saw him. The boy with the pink hair… and his flying cat. _Talk about making an entrance_. He opened the double doors and stood there looking quite impressive with a wide grin plastered on face, and his white scarf swaying with the wind.

"We're back guys!" Everyone had looked when the doors opened and seeing him they rapidly went back to their tasks at hand. Apparently he was just another wizard, but Lucy couldn't seem to stop staring and suddenly he seemed to notice her. She saw his own fixed stare and turned away with a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. Why she was blushing, she had no idea, but she couldn't stand to be scrutinized by him any longer than that. The light was blocked when an impressive redhead clad in armor came up behind him. _Titania!_ That looked like the famous Titania. Oh what she wouldn't give to meet and befriend the powerful female wizard.

She had been so wrapped up in her own head that she hadn't noticed the trio making their way towards her until they were right in front of her.

"So you're the new girl, huh?" asked the boy with a big lazy grin.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"

"Yes. Welcome…"

"Lucy. My name's Lucy" she piped up nervously. She couldn't believe it! Erza Titania had talked to her! The excitement had her squealing in her mind.

"I'm Natsu and this here's Happy! It's great to have a new member." She blushed a deeper shade of at his familiar mannerisms. She couldn't help but notice the friendly banter between Natsu and Happy and smiled. For some reason that made her feel at ease, at home even. Natsu sat beside her while still arguing with Happy about what to have for breakfast. She watched Erza walk away from their table and head to the bar where the Master sat at his usual perch and began speaking with him. It really did feel like home already, everyone was so welcoming and open with her, it almost brought tears to her eyes. The only thing that would have made it better was if her friends were with her. With that thought she looked down at her keys and on impulse pulled them out.

"Whoa! That's _awesome_! You're a celestial wizard?! How cool is that?! Happy look!"

"Aye sir" said the cat as both he and Natsu examined her friends' keys.

"I've never seen any keys like this. Come to think of it, I've never met a celestial wizard before, and now you've even joined Fairy Tail."

"You've never met a celestial wizard before?"

"Most of us haven't, actually" said an approaching Levy. "I only immediately recognized your magic keys because I've read about them before. It's actually quite a rare magic type. Not like, say, dragon slayer magic, but rare nonetheless." When she said that Natsu's face spread into a wide grin as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. _Dragon Slayer magic?! Maybe I can start there… users of that kind of magic may help me find Igneel's son! _

"Oh, I didn't really know that, I guess I've always been surrounded by it, so I didn't realize. Are you ready Levy?" Lucy asked as calmly as possible. She didn't want to let her excited emotions show, finally she had a lead on how to start searching for the dragon's son.

"Ready? Where're you going? Can we come too? We wanna get to know Lucy better." Natsu said as he jumped from his chair.

"Aye sir!"

Their eagerness floored Lucy, but she couldn't help and smile at the duo. She gathered her keys once more and anchored them to her leather belt alongside her whip.

"Actually Lulu I came to tell you that I can't come along today. Gajeel needs me to go with him on a job" she said sheepishly.

"That's perfect! We can take her!"

Levy smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. I'm really sorry Lulu."

"No! No! Don't worry about it Levy. I'm sure the three of us can manage."

"Natsu, Happy, promise me you'll show her a good time, ok?"

"Aye sir!"

"You bet Levy! Now get going, Metal head over there ain't gonna wait for long."

Levy's cheeks turned scarlet as she smiled and ran off after giving Lucy a quick hug. Lucy wondered what was going on between those two, but she could definitely tell that Levy was head over heels for Gajeel. Now she looked towards a smiling Natsu who took her hand, pulled her up and semi-dragged her out of the guild hall. It looked like she was getting to know Magnolia one way or another today. Lucy was glad to make new friends and happily walked through the bustling streets of Magnolia along Natsu and Happy.

"Man I'm starving! We never did eat at the guild, huh? I could really go for some food. What'd'ya say Lucy? Wanna go eat?"

"I could really go for some yummy fish, Natsu!" pitched in Happy.

'Nah, I don't want fish. We always have fish!"

"Because they're so yummy and delicious!"

Lucy laughed aloud enjoying herself immensely, Natsu's lighthearted mood was infectious.

"Yeah, sure. Let's eat!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

"Aye sir!"

Natsu took her to the best burger joint in Magnolia and she had to admit, it was pretty delicious. She was astounded at the amount of food he could put away! He seemed so small for all that food, where on Earthland was he putting it?! Lucy paid more attention to him and noticed that he was actually quite toned, and that was putting it mildly. It seemed that he really did use all that energy somehow. _Hmm…and it certainly shows._ Wait! She couldn't be thinking like that! She didn't know him and she was…she was…betrothed. It was still so hard to even think the word.

Her emotions must've been a shining beacon on her face because Natsu stopped eating and asked her what was wrong.

"Oh haha. Nothing, sorry. Sorry I just thought of something"

"What was it?"

"I just realized that I've nowhere to live, that's all' she lied.

"No problem!" he replied, not really believing her. "Happy and I will help you search. In the mean time you can stay with us! Right Happy?"

"Aye sir!"

"It'll be great having you around!" He said with an honest smile.

If Lucy had been surprised by the pink haired boy before, it was nothing to how surprised she was now. She was completely taken aback by his generous offer. She nodded her thanks, afraid that if she spoke she would end up shedding tears. She had never expected this much kindness from this many people.

After lunch the trio set out to explore the town.

"That was probably the best lunch ever! Thanks Lucy!"

"I'm so full I could pop" said Happy, holding his now rather large belly.

"Thanks? What for? I didn't do anything at all."

"Well, you went out to lunch with us, duh." Natsu told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Throughout the rest of the day they were in and out of shops and apartment buildings, but all for nothing. They found nothing anywhere or the places were so expensive, even for her! She may have grown up in a mansion but she was actually quite frugal about money, plus she didn't need all that much. She had never really been the extravagant kind and she didn't want to attract attention either.

The day had begun to wane and red and yellows decorated the late afternoon sky. By this point the trio had exhausted all of their leads and Lucy had sufficiently explored all of the shops, from the bigger corporate ones to the quaint family owned ones. She really couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun with anyone other than her celestial friends. Every time they entered a shop Natsu and Happy had made a point of trying on the dorkiest outfits, making funny noises, and having the most nonsensical conversations. It had gotten to the point where Lucy could not stop smiling and her sides hurt from laughing.

"Man it's getting dark, you ready to go Luce? I think Happy's a little tired" he said as he looked at the half asleep cat leaning on his leg.

"Are you sure Natsu? I can just stay at the inn again, it's really not a problem for me at all."

"Hell no! You're our friend and you're not gonna stay at a strange place, you're coming with us! C'mon let's go get your stuff from the guild hall." He said all this as he grabbed her and half-dragged her towards the guild hall this time.

"Aye sir! Let's go!" Happy exclaimed with renewed vigor.

As they walked to the guild hall Lucy was having a small panic attack as she really thought about what was going on. _What are they all gonna think?! All the other guild members! They're gonna look at me differently because I'm spending the night at Natsu's house. Oh crap!_

"M-maybe I should just go back to the inn" she stammered.

"Nah! Besides we're already here," responded Natsu, opening one of the double doors that lead to the inside of the Fairy Tail guild hall and walking in. To Lucy's complete dismay everyone was still there! _Don't they ever leave?! Now everyone will know and I'll be cast out! I can't believe this is happening to me. _

"Hello Lucy. Were you successful in your hunt for a place to live?" asked Erza, still scaring Lucy despite her innocent question.

"Nah" answered Natsu.

"She's gonna stay with us until she finds a place" continued Happy.

"We're just here to get her stuff and then we're off."

_Here it comes_ she thought, her heart pounding, waiting for the looks and questions.

"Oh, good. Great idea Natsu, we can't very well have her stay at some inn when she has friends here," said Erza approvingly. Natsu looked proud of himself as he received Erza's praise at his good idea.

"That is quite the good idea" a sweet voice piped up behind them. Lucy turned around to see Mirajane coming up behind them holding her suitcase and bag. "Also, a few boxes came for you Lucy. We can just keep them here until you get a place to live."

"Thanks so much Mira! I'm sorry, I just figured that I'd have gotten a place by now."

"No worries! They'll be safe in the basement until you get a place. I'd offer you to stay at the Fairy Lodge where most of us live, but unfortunately there's only two rooms left and one is always used as storage and the other is in shambles right now."

"Don't worry about it Mira. I'll be fine. I'll just stay with Natsu and Happy for tonight, and I'll find something tomorrow for sure," she answered with a smile. As much as she was dreading the rumors, Lucy really didn't mind staying with Natsu and happy for the night.

"Just be careful that flame brain doesn't try anything Lucy, he isn't the type to be trusted," said the shirtless Gray.

"Hey asshole! Don't go spreading those kinds of lies!" fumed Natsu.

"Gray! Don't scare Lucy!" said Erza, with the scariest face Lucy had seen on her yet. She gave Gray the most terrifying death glare that Lucy had ever seen. Lucy made a mental note to never get on Erza's bad side, it looked like a dangerous and life threatening experience.

"Lucy don't let Gray scare you, it really is a good idea to stay with Natsu until you find a place. It was kind of him to offer. Just tell me if he steps out of line and I'll deal with him," she said nicely, which somehow made the threat even scarier to Lucy. Gray had already backed off making innuendos to Lucy and was now simply picking a fight with Natsu, who was more than up for a fight with the practically naked wizard.

"I'll go ahead and tell Levy when she returns then. I know she'll be curious."

"Thanks so much Mirajane"

"No problem Lucy! What are friends for?" Mira said smiling kindly.

It would be an understatement to say that Lucy was taken aback by everyone's kindness. They'd known her for all of two days and they had already taken her in and treated her as family. She felt so happy and cherished and so incredibly blessed to be this fortunate.

"Lucy!" said a startled Natsu, "Why are you crying? Did Gray say something to upset you? Do I need to kick his ass?"

"Pssh like you could, get real."

_Crying? Am I crying?_ She lifted a hand to her face and sure enough there were tears slowly trickling down her face.

"Oh. I didn't realize. I'm sorry," Lucy wiped the remaining tears from her face and rubbed her eyes clean.

"What's wrong Lucy?" Happy asked her.

"Nothing at all. I was just thinking about how nice you've all been to me. I haven't done anything to deserve any of your kindness, but even so it makes me so happy," she sniffled and wiped a few errant tears with a huge smile. A soft smile spread across Erza's face as she heard Lucy's words.

"You're one of us now Lucy."

"Yeah Luce!" Natsu said putting an arm around her, "and we're a family. Being a member of Fairy Tail means something to us, right Happy?!"

"Aye sir!"

"Now come on, we gotta go home!"

Natsu, Lucy and Happy all left with her bag in tow. Lucy felt so happy and all of her fears had somehow instantly disappeared. She really felt like she was a part of Fairy Tail. A wide smile spread across her face as she followed Happy and Natsu to a little trail that went to the outskirts of the city.

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Thanks for reading guys! Let me know what you think! There's a ton more where this came from, hopefully all this will end nicely, ha.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, it's about time for a new chapter, right? Hope you enjoy it!

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Natsu looked at the sleeping Lucy in her pink pajamas laying in his hammock. He and Happy had a small, modest cottage in the outskirts of Magnolia that was sparsely furnished, and since he couldn't very well let Lucy sleep on the floor, he let her sleep in his hammock. He was observing her and thinking about this morning when he saw her for the first time.

He opened the doors to the guild and he could have sworn on his life that he saw an angel with cascading golden hair and a bright halo adorning her head. Originally he had thought it was her, that it was Lisanna, but no, it simply wasn't possible. Then when he really saw her, she was this new face that he had never seen before. There was something about the way she looked at him that drew him towards her. She looked so innocent and even as she looked away from him he could her see the blush on her cheeks. There was this insane instinct within him that told him to keep her close and safe and to protect her no matter what. He couldn't seem to shake this overwhelming feeling, he didn't know why, but he would see it through. After all, if he couldn't trust his gut instinct, what could he trust? When Levy decided to take that job with Gajeel he saw the perfect opportunity to get to know Lucy better. They all went to lunch together and he and Happy showed her the rest of Magnolia, and boy was he glad they did! He hadn't had such a great time since…since Lisanna. Immediately Natsu's mood dampened and he could feel the frown forming on his face.

It had been over a year now since her death. Everyone had moved on and accepted her passing as a tragic part of life, but he just couldn't forget her. He had loved her after all. They had been friends since they were kids and eventually over the years they became more than friends. Her death had really devastated Natsu at first and it took a long time before he felt anywhere near normal again.

Today… today was unexpected though. He really hadn't had this much just hanging out since Lisanna. Lucy was like this shining beacon of light and joy that he vowed he would cling to. He somehow felt whole with her near him. Seeing her cry earlier had really startled him, he had felt so unsettled, but when she said she was crying out of happiness he couldn't help but be happy also. Happy to have made such an awesome new friend and happy to have a new member of the family.

"Mm Natsu? What are you still doing awake?" mumbled Happy as he rubbed his eyes with his paw, taking Natsu out of his reverie.

"Nothing lil' buddy, just thinking I guess."

"I told you that's a dangerous habit for you, Natsu."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" he responded heatedly.

"Was it about Lisanna?"

"Kinda"

"I miss her."

"Me too, lil' buddy."

"But I really like Lucy too, she's nice"

"Yeah, she is pretty great huh?" They both spared a glance to the sleeping girl.

"Let's keep her Natsu. She'd be a great addition to or team, plus she uses super rare magic."

"That's true, I guess, we'll talk to her in the morning then" he said, stifling a yawn, "I'm sleepy now. C'mon let's crash."

"Aye sir." Happy waddled over to Natsu and fell asleep by his side. The wizard followed him in sleep shortly after.

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Lucy woke up feeling extremely rested and with a feeling of joy that she hadn't felt in a long time. She moved in the hammock trying to get off and instead of rolling forward the hammock rolled her back and she ended up with her face on the ground and her butt in the air.

"Hnf. That was embarrassing." She looked around making sure that Natsu and Happy hadn't seen seen her oh-so-graceful dismount. _It would be my luck to make such an awesome impression._ Luckily for her Natsu and Happy were still snoring softly, unaware of her clumsiness. Grateful for her lucky stars she grabbed her clothes and went in for a quick shower.

Ten minutes later she Lucy was sneaking out the front door of the cottage and stepping into the bright and sunny day that greeted her outside. She wasn't planning on leaving Natsu and Happy but she didn't want to wake them up either. So she decided to go outside hoping that when they woke up they would just come find her. She wanted to see Virgo and Leo today and tell them all about Natsu and Fairy Tail, not to mention the fact that she missed them all immensely. She took both keys from the key holder attached to her belt and summoned them.

"Open! Gate to the Lion Palace! Leo!" followed quickly by "Open Gate to the Maiden Palace! Virgo!" Pointing each key individually to the heavens she summoned both Virgo and Leo to her side.

"Hello Princess. Long time no see"

"How can I be of service to you, my Princess?"

Lucy hadn't realized how much she truly missed her friends until she saw them staring back at her. She couldn't contain her glee any longer and lunged towards both spirits wrapping them both in her strongest embrace.

"Oof! It's good to see you too Princess"

"You don't have to call me that, Leo, please. You know that" Lucy lightly scolded, wiping a few happy tears from the corner of her eyes. Still taken aback by the sudden hug, Virgo said nothing but her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Princess you should not have summoned the both of us at once, you don't know how it will affect you."

"Virgo's right Lucy, you really shouldn't have don't that."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. What's the point of being a celestial princess if I can't even do this?" she huffed.

"No one's saying you can't do it, we're only saying that you should be careful. You've never really experienced _using_ magic energy before and it can be very draining. Just be careful" cautioned Leo, "Like we told you last time, just learn your limits and don't push yourself too hard. You're too precious to us." He grabbed her and squished her face into his chest.

"Thanks Leo, you can let go now…" she said as she pushed away from his chest. _Always so handsy, that one._

"Here Princess"

"Virgo please, just Lucy"

"But…you're my princess"

"Fine, I guess we'll just say it's a nickname… just please, not while anyone else is around. Oh! What's this?" She asked curiously, turning her attention to the object that Virgo was handing her.

"It's something to help you out in case you can't summon us."

"It was made especially for you Princess." Virgo handed Lucy the whip that was in her hands. It was a beautiful cured leather whip with a small heart shaping the very tip. It was light and she was confident that with the lessons that Virgo had given her as a child that she could use it to its full potential.

"It's called the Fleuve d'etoiles. It's a whip from our realm infused with celestial energy. It will serve you better than the one you have now."

"Thank you so much Virgo!" Lucy undid the lopsided belt that hung on her curvaceous hips and traded her old whip for her new one. She handed the old one to Virgo's other outstretched hand and cinched the Fleuve d'etoiles through her belt, exactly where the previous one had been.

"Anyways to tell you about why I really summoned you." With those words Lucy launched into her last few days, telling her spirit friends everything and how she had ended up at Natsu's house.

"Oh how naughty Princess."

"Virgo! _Please_ don't say it like that."

"No she's right Princess, it is scandalous information, but love is love. Just remember the dragon's son." he said, very blasé.

"Leo! How could you think that?! He's just a friend that was kind, and I know what my duties are. I haven't… I haven't forgotten." Lucy felt really lightheaded all of a sudden. She'd been fine just a second ago, but somewhere between Virgo's comment and her answer to their speculations about her personal life she had begun to feel dizzy.

"Lucy?"

"Princess?"

"Hm? No I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm-"

"Lucy!" She could hear Leo calling her name and she heard running footsteps coming towards her. _Why is everything black? I can hear everything but I can't see Leo or Virgo…Is that Natsu?_ She felt her body moving, but it wasn't her doing. Her vision lightened and faded from black to white until suddenly everything came into focus again.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that? Why am I on the ground, what happened?" So many things were going through her mind and she seemed to spit them out all at once.

"Well we came out here looking for you and you were collapsing so I caught you" Natsu stated matter-of-factly.

"Collapsing?" she asked, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"Lucy who were you talking to?" Happy questioned.

"Huh? Leo? Virgo?" she looked around but they weren't there.

"They disappeared when you went unconscious. Who are they Luce?"

"They're…they're my friends… my celestial spirits. Leo the Lion and Virgo the Maiden."

"Princess are you alright?" Virgo asked as she materialized once more in front of them.

"Yeah I think so, but how-"

"I'm here by my own power."

"I didn't know you could do that. Oh, Virgo, this is Natsu and that is Happy." Lucy made quick introductions as she stood up from Natsu's arms. _He's so warm_ she mused silently.

"Princess? Leo told me to tell you to be careful and to try and not summon two of us again for such an extended period of time until you're used to it. Good bye!" and with that the celestial maiden disappeared, going back to the spirit realm.

"Lucy? Are you really a princess?"

"Yeah, what was all that about?" Natsu asked lifting his arms and putting his hands behind his neck as they started making their way back to Magnolia and Fairy Tail.

"Oh haha-that! No no!" she said nervously, "she just likes to call me that. It's kinda her nickname for me. Thanks for helping me, Natsu."

"Sure! No biggie. So what's this about your powers?"

"Well, I haven't used my magic energy in a while and I guess I'm not used to summoning two spirits anymore. I was just so eager to see them and tell them all about you guys that I kinda forgot and lost track of time."

"Hmph – well be careful next time. I guess that ruins our plans of going on a job then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Happy and I were gonna ask you to team up with us and go on a job today, right Happy?"

"Aye sir! But now we can't because Lucy can't work in her condition."

"No! No! I can go! I _want_ to go!"

"Enh, we'll see what Erza and Ice Breath think. C'mon we're almost there."

They went to guild hall, and to Lucy's complete disappointment Erza agreed with Natsu. She said that collapsing from lack of magic energy was a serious thing and not to be taken lightly. They would go on a job tomorrow. In the mean time they would just stay in Magnolia. Erza left shortly after, something about going to a sweets shop. Lucy was somewhat glad that they stayed, that way she'd be able to see Levy that afternoon when she and Gajeel returned.

_Hmph, serves me right to stay here today, what do I know about my own limits?! I pushed them way too hard, even when Leo warned me to take it slow. I'll just have to practice…but I guess it wasn't terrible. Even Erza said it was impressive to have summoned two spirits after not having done it in a long time…or ever for that matter. Still that means that I'll hardly ever see them again. No, I can't keep crying like this, I have to be strong. I have to do this for mom._

Lucy was left alone to steam away her anger at herself. Natsu and Happy were bickering with Gray and eating a mountain of food at the same time. She smiled to herself, they had been so kind to her, but she really wanted a place of her own.

The doors of the guild hall opened and Erza came in with two boxes from her favorite confectionary shop. Closely behind her were Levy and Gajeel keeping a conspicuous distance from each other.

"Lulu!" Levy squealed when she saw her.

"Levy! How was your job?" The two girls hugged as Gajeel went to give a job report to the master.

"It was great, we got to the ruins and Gajeel beat up some guys," she said laughing, "So how's the new apartment?"

"Yeah, about that, I couldn't find a place last night."

"Oh that's too bad, is your stuff still at the inn?"

"No, some's here and some is at Natsu's place. He insisted that I stay with him and Happy, so everything is over there. What?" Levy was giving her a knowing smile.

"Natsu, huh? You work fast Lu!"

The blonde blushed furiously. "Not you too!"

"So someone else agrees! Who is it? Mira? Erza? No, it has to be Mira"

"No, no! They didn't say anything like that, but Virgo and Leo did. Oh, my keys, uh spirits" she explained when the blue-haired gave her a questioning look.

"Oh cool! Can I meet them too?"

"No, not today, Erza might kill me…she already gave me a stern talking to."

"Why?"

"Well, I kinda, sorta, haven't used my magic power in a long while and summoning both Leo and Virgo simultaneously may have wiped me out. So no job for us today because Natsu insists on my not straining myself. Pfft."

"Oh! Already formed a team with Natsu and everything, huh?"

"Levy!"

"Ok, ok, fine. But wow Lucy, that's pretty incredible. I've read about celestial magic and its users. Summoning two spirits is rare and super difficult. I'm actually surprised you can do it, especially if you haven't used magic in a while… or ever for that matter." Lucy froze. Her secret was out, and by the looks of it, Levy wasn't just speculating and was about to ask more.

"You've never really used magic have you?" Lucy breathed in deeply, steadying herself and decided to trust Levy.

"No, not really, but I'm learning. I've been around magic my entire life, but I've never had the need to use it before now."

"Well good, but be careful and don't push yourself too hard. I'm sure you have your reasons so I won't pry, but if you need to talk about it, don't hesitate to ask, ok? Also, I'm going to assume that Natsu and Erza don't know?"

"No, they don't. I haven't told anyone. Please Levy don't -"

"Don't worry, Lulu, your secret's safe with me" she gave her a thumbs up.

"Wait, so how did you know?"

"When Gajeel and I first saw you, you didn't seem to really know how valuable those golden keys were, something all celestial wizards would most definitely know. Plus they weren't really in a safe place, remember how they fell? No wizard would have their magic objects in an unsafe place. See how you have them attached to your belt now? That's much better. All of that got me thinking."

"Huh ok. I'll keep that in mind."

"So enough with the heavy stuff. Did you want to go look for more apartments? I can think of a few places you might not have checked."

"That would be awesome! Nothing against Natsu or anything, but I really want my own place." The girls giggled and stood up from where they were sitting making their way to the front door.

"Ay, yo, Luce! Where you guys headed?"

"Hey, Natsu. Levy and I are going to go look at more apartments, she said she knows of some other places we might not have checked.

"Lucy! Don't you like staying with us? Did Natsu scare you already?" Happy asked miserably.

"No Happy that's not it at all! I just want my own place. Did you guys want to come along?"

"Nah. We'll stay here. Apartment hunting sounds kinda boring actually. Just make sure to be back byt this afternoon, Erza wants to talk to all of us."

"Uh, sure, ok. We'll be back later then" with a wave Lucy turned to follow Levy out the door and into Magnolia.

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Hope you guys enjoyed this little installment. Please let me (kindly) know what you think. Til next time!


	6. Chapter 6

So here's another chapter for you guys, enjoy!

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He watched Lucy and Levy leave as Happy flew by his side. Lucy made him feel weird…he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing yet, but he definitely liked having her around. She was so different from anyone else here, and at the same time she fit so perfectly.

"Hey, yo, Flame Brain." Natsu turned to see it was Gajeel calling him. Ignoring the Metal Head he walked back to everyone and sat back down.

"I heard you brought that girl home with you. She just got here and you're already claiming her? What about the rest of us?" Natsu blushed.

"Yeah Natsu, what if we wanna get to know 'er? She's real easy on the eyes you know." _Like I haven't noticed_ thought Natsu.

"My beloved Gray already has Juvia! Why would he want Lucy?"

"Juvia! I already told ya, you got this all wrong. I'm not your boyfriend, alright."

"Besides Gajeel, aren't you getting close to Levy?" commented the ever perceptive Erza. At hearing that Gajeel muttered something about how he wasn't interested in Lucy himself and was just asking.

"You guys, seriously, Lucy's a friend, we just met! There's nothing going on, how could there be?" He rambled on trying to get them to stop talking about this painfully awkward subject. He really liked Lucy, but he didn't think of her in that way.

"You know Natsu, it would be okay if you liked her. Nobody would blame you," Mirajane said softly behind him. Everyone surrounding them that had been a part of the conversation or who was listening in grew immediately quiet. It was like that around here, everyone was a part of everyone else's business and conversations, they were a family after all, and they all knew that Natsu still missed Lisanna.

"I know Mira, it's not that…not really," Natsu told her. He turned to face her and his shoulders slightly hunched.

"We all know you miss her, we all do, but moving on is normal. Even though it hurts us, Elfman and I have also begun to move on," she continued. Erza stepped over to them and looked at him.

"Lisanna would understand, Natsu. I know that you think moving on would mean being disloyal to her, and that's just not the case. You know if it was the other way around you'd want her to keep going on with her life, to find someone to be with. This is no different. Don't hold back from caring for someone else, it's not fair to you or to Lisanna."

Erza's words struck a chord with Natsu. He knew that she and Mira were right and that he was the one who didn't feel right moving on from Lisanna. It just seemed unfair to her, it wasn't like they had broken up mutually. She had been _killed._ It felt _wrong_ to think about someone else in the same way. He just needed some space right now, he hadn't expected to be ambushed with such a heavy topic today.

"Natsu! Where are you going?"

"Just out for a walk, Happy. I need to clear my head." He turned around to face his friend and noticed that everyone else had gone back to their previous conversations. "I need some time alone right now," he added when he saw Happy motioning to follow him.

"Oh…ok. I guess I'll stay here and wait for Wendy and Carla."

"Ok Lil' Buddy, I'll be back this afternoon for Erza's thing." Natsu turned once more, this time towards the doors and walked out.

He had no clear path in mind and ended up roaming aimlessly through the streets of Magnolia. About an hour later he found himself at the park that inhabited the center of the city. It was quiet, serene, and peaceful, just what he needed to sort out the chaotic thoughts and feelings running through his mind.

He knew that Erza was right, that they were all right. Lisanna would not blame him for moving on, but why were they all ganging up on him about Lucy? They had only just met, how could everyone possibly think that he could like her or even have feelings for her so soon? Not that he didn't, because he did really like her, not to mention that she was really pretty, and nice. _What was I thinking about?_ Closing his eyes Natsu lay down against the tree. For some reason he could only think of her. _Damn it. Man, what's wrong with me? Why can't I get this damned girl outta my head? Sure she's nice and pretty and has a great body, but I hardly know her. I shouldn't be so crazy focused on her. But still, there's something there – something about her that I just can't get over. _

"Natsu!" _Damn it, I even hear her here. I just can't help myself._

"Natsuuu!" _That definitely wasn't me_. Natsu opened his eyes to see a smiling Lucy jogging and waving towards him with Levy close behind.

"Oh. Hey Luce, what's up?" He sat up straight.

"You'll never guess! Levy knew of this little apartment down on Strawberry St. that we didn't go look at, and it's totally available and in my price range! I'm so excited! She said I could move in tonight!" No longer able to contain her excitement, Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck.

"Thank you so much for everything Natsu!" She leaned back, arms still around Natsu, and saw him staring back at her with a definite look of surprise. Realizing that she had inadvertently hugged him, she quickly pulled away as a rapid blush took place on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry!" Her eyes got wide and she hung her head in embarrassment. _How could I do that?! WHY did I do that? What the hell came over me?!_

It took a second for Natsu to react. Getting hugged by Lucy was something he hadn't expected at all, especially the deep scarlet blush that now adorned her pretty face. He couldn't deny that his own cheeks felt a little warm after the encounter. _This girl is full of surprises._ Pretending like nothing had happened, Natsu gave her a wide grin.

"That's great Lucy! Too bad you won't be staying with us, but at least you got your own place now!" _It was nothing. She was just excited, plus friends give each other hugs all the time, right?_

Levy had made her way towards them and saw the exchange with an amused look in her eye. There was definitely something there, even if those two didn't know it yet. How could they? They'd only just met, but Lucy, Lucy was one of them. She seemed to fit right in, like she'd always been there in fact. Plopping down beside Natsu and Lucy, all three of them started talking about Lucy's new apartment and their own afternoon adventures. It wasn't until Natsu looked up at the sky that they all stopped talking.

"Oi, we should go, or Erza is gonna be upset."

"That's right! I totally forgot about that!" They all got up and made their way to the guild hall. The bustle of Magnolia had died down as the late afternoon took hold of the day.

Entering the guild hall the trio made their way to Erza.

"You're all here, excellent, we can begin now."

Lucy was definitely feeling anxious about Erza's "talk." The mage looked like she meant business and Lucy was afraid of what that entailed.

"We're here to celebrate Lucy's arrival to our guild!" Hearing those words come from Erza shocked Lucy immensely. That was the last thing she expected to hear from her.

"You guys! This is so unexpected and awesome! I don't know what to say." Erza came out from behind the bar where MiraJane worked carrying two boxes from her sweets shop visit.

"Here you go Lucy. Every time we get a new member in Fairy Tail I try and make it a point to get them a cake from the best sweets shop in town." She handed Lucy a large strawberry cake and pulled the other one out for herself.

"Let's celebrate!" Hearing those two simple words the whole group burst out in cheers. They all cut into Lucy's cake because Natsu decided that she couldn't possibly finish it all by herself and it was their duty to help her. Although it did not escape Lucy that no one dared to touch Erza's cake, and with good reason, she was possessive and defensive over it. Not even Natsu dared to sneak a bite, which wouldn't have worked regardless because, to Lucy's second major surprise of the day, the mighty Erza Titania loved her strawberry cake.

Lucy took a minute to observe her surroundings and saw friends and even family there. Perhaps not her family, not yet, but they were all friends and family to each other. _I belong here. This is home. This is my, no, this is __**our**__ new home. I'm so happy._

Before the night was done, Lucy had met the younger sister of the group, Wendy, and Carla and Panther Lily. Carla and Panther Lily were two more flying cats that belonged to the guild, which she also learned were from a race known as Exceeds. Apparently the black cat, Panther Lily, was usually partners with Gajeel, but he had been on a job with Wendy and Carla this time around. Lucy couldn't help but find this somewhat amusing because Gajeel just didn't seem the type. _Although he is with Levy, so there must be more to him than brawn, he must have a serious soft side to him as well. _Lucy giggled at the thought, but accepted this odd side to Gajeel that he sometimes tried so desperately to hide. Wendy, on the other hand, was so sweet and kind and innocent. She had a different shade of blue hair than Levy, but it was much longer and put up in pigtails. Wendy and her partner, Carla, had both welcomed Lucy with open arms, claiming that it would be nice to have another girl around.

It was late into the night that Erza finally told them to call it quits. By this point everyone in the guild hall had long ago joined the celebration. Apparently the Fairy Tail family used any excuse to bust out the booze and rowdy behavior, even the Master joined in the party! Lucy hadn't had much to drink, but everyone else did, there had been several fights too, most of which involved Natsu. At first she was worried, and a little afraid even, but everyone assured her that a brawling Natsu was a common and expected occurrence. _He really is a hothead, that one. A very attractive hothead too. _Even just thinking it made her blush intensely._ I can't afford feelings like these, I am _technically_ engaged. This is all so absurd and frustrating. How in the hell am I supposed to find Igneel's son? I didn't really have a chance to ask around today._ As all these thoughts ran through Lucy's head, she noticed that the guild hall had mostly cleared out and everyone who hadn't already left was passed out. Somehow she wasn't surprised that Natsu and Happy were among those that were fast asleep in the guild hall. She went to the bar and took a piece of paper from Mira's notepad and wrote down her new address. Ripping the paper from the rest of the note pad, Lucy silently stepped around the sprawling bodies as she made her way over to Natsu. She squatted right next to him and put the paper in one of his limp hands, stopping to admire his peaceful face a moment longer before getting up. _Just in case._ After doing that, Lucy grabbed the few belongings she had on her and left the guild for her new apartment.

Lucy's new apartment was a pre-furnished, modest little place made up of a small living room and kitchen area and an ample bedroom with a bathroom attached. It was the perfect size for her, and at seventy thousand jewel a month, a total steal in her book. She could totally afford this while being in the guild and looking for Igneel's son. Her meager belongings were scattered all over the living room. The land lady was kind enough to have some gentlemen pick up her few boxes and trunks from the guild hall, at Lucy's expense of course. She still had a pack of clothes at Natsu's house and she made a mental note to pick those up at some point. Rummaging through her trunk of extra clothes she found nothing suitable to wear as pajamas so she decided to just wear one of her softest tank tops and her underwear. _I'm sure I have another set… I'm just too tired to keep looking_ she thought, discarding her clothes, and setting down her keys and new whip on the kitchen table.

That night Lucy slept in the front room because her bed was still bare of sheets and she was simply too tired to make much of an effort. _Tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow _and with that last thought going through her mind, Lucy drifted off into a deep sleep.

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So I know that maybe not a lot happened here but bear with me. Hope you guys liked it! Let me know what y'all think!


	7. Chapter 7

So I wanted to put this chapter out a little earlier than this, but I got lazy. Heh. Sorry, it happens. I have a bit more written in my lil' comp book, but not that much more, however, I do know where I want this story to go. That being said, it might take a bit longer from here on out to put out new chapters. Hope that doesn't put you guys off. Now without further ado, the story.

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Natsu woke up with the sun shining brightly in his eyes. He opened them slowly, allowing them to get adjusted to the light and he noticed that he was not the only one there, most of them had fallen asleep in the guild hall after last night's party. Stretching his arms towards the ceiling he noticed something crunch in his hand. Immediately curious he stopped mid-stretch to read the neatly scribbled note and as soon as his foggy brain made sense of the words he sat up abruptly and took a closer look around the guild. She was nowhere to be found.

Elfman was sprawled out on the floor not far away and so was Gray with Juvia nestled close by. Gajeel and Levy were there and near him all three Exceeds were surrounding Wendy, as if protecting her. It had been quite the party if this many people had stayed. He was worried though, she didn't quite know her way around yet and last time he checked it had been late when they were all still awake. Making his mind up, he got up carefully so as not to wake Happy and Wendy, and ran out the door.

He looked at the piece of paper again and made his way to the written address. He knew she could take care of herself, but he just _had_ to make sure. Ten minutes later he was trying to calm his breathing as he walked up the steps of the little building on Strawberry Street that carried the same address as the one that was written on his small piece of paper.

He made his way to the door that had the number two hanging on the outside and knocked. Nothing. He could smell her scent, but it could just be from her things. He knocked again. Nothing. He was going to knock one more time when he heard her scream coming from the other side of the door.

On pure unadulterated instinct he kicked the door open only to find Lucy sitting upright on her couch with a look of absolute fear in her eyes. He hardly noticed the fact that she was covered, barely, by a thin blue sheet, or that her hands trembled.

"Lucy! Are you hurt?" Natsu looked around, and sniffed the air around him looking for another's trace, but no one else had been there, he could only find her sweet aroma.

"Natsu? What're you…?" He finally turned to look at her and the blanket that once covered her fell off, revealing the girl underneath. It was only then that Natsu really looked at Lucy that morning.

He saw her smooth curving figure and the perfect shape of her ample breasts. Breasts whose buds rose to meet him through her thin shirt. Her heavy breathing, due to her scream, somehow made her seem even more attractive. Natsu felt a heat rise up within him the likes of which he had never felt before. He had consumed many fires in his life, but this, this was different. It was a fire that sprung from the center of his being and threatened to consume him. Even if he had wanted to, he could not pull his eyes away from her… this glorious angel that in a few days' time had already turned his life upside down.

The minute she noticed what Natsu was gazing upon, she pulled the cover tightly to her chest and blushed crimson. Her disturbing dream was all but forgotten in her mind, all she could think of was Natsu and the way that he was looking at her. He seemed to be memorizing her every aspect, down to the last curve, in the hopes of one day devouring her. Despite the warring emotions churning just below the surface, Lucy finally managed to calm her ragged breathing down. When she had at last achieved this seemingly small act Lucy dared to take a peek at the man standing before her. He appeared to be having as much difficulty calming down as she had had, or at least she hoped.

Finally, after fighting to regain his composure, Natsu's face reddened, showing his intense embarrassment and accenting his pink hair. As much as it pained him to do it, he looked away from Lucy, allowing her to compose herself from his intrusion.

"I came to – uh – to see if you got home alright. I knocked a few times and then you screamed…so I came in. Sorry about the door."

"Oh. The door… ok. Umm Natsu?" Lucy's quiet tone made him finally look towards her direction.

"Yeah?" He said looking everywhere except where he wanted to most.

"Thank you. Thank you for trying to save me, or protect me." He finally managed to look at her and he was greeted with the biggest and most beautiful brown eyes that he had ever seen.

"Yeah, no problem, Luce."

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you go now? I don't mean to be rude, it's just that, well, I'm still kind of…"

"Oh! Damn, yeah. Sorry. I'll see you at the guild, Erza said we would go on a job today."

"Ok, I'll see you soon."

Reluctantly Natsu left the blonde to her business. He left the apartment and made his way to the Fairy Tail guild hall, where everyone was already awake and getting started with their day. For some this included going home first to get cleaned up and then coming back.

"Natsuuu!"

"Hey Happy"

"I thought you left us," he sniffed.

"Nah, just went out for a bit, didn't wanna wake you or nothing."

"Are we all ready to go? Where's Lucy? She should go with us," Erza said as she rounded up their teammates.

"She'll be back soon. She's getting ready."

"How do you know? Wait – did you just get back from her new place?" Gray accused him.

"Natsu!" Erza exclaimed with wide eyes.

"No! No! It's not like that, I swear! She left me a note with her address and I went to make sure she got home alright!" He said quickly, trying desperately to lessen the damage that comment would do. _That stupid bastard and his big mouth. _

"Sure Salamander, that's what you were doing." _Too late. Dammit. I'll never hear the end of this one._

"Ahh shaddup metal head, no one's talking to you." Gajeel and Gray would never leave him alone now. It's a good thing that they didn't know about what happened just half an hour ago. He couldn't get it out of his mind, and he was sure as hell glad that they would never find out. All of this was hard enough without those bastards making up tales.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Lucy walked into the guild hall and went straight to Erza's group, meanwhile doing her best to avoid Natsu. She didn't want him to think that she thought anything about this morning's little incident. It was an accident, plain and simple. He didn't mean to look at her, but she couldn't deny to herself that she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. About him. She wanted him to follow through with the hunger that had seeped into his eyes when he saw her.

This was all getting out of hand. She had spent the last hour telling herself over and over again that there had been nothing in his eyes except embarrassment. As much as she wanted him to want her, she had seen nothing this morning. Nothing had happened between them earlier, it was just her overactive imagination.

"Good, you're here, we can go now. Wendy, get Natsu and Happy and meet us at the train station. Gray will also meet us there." Erza said all of this, but only half made it through to her. In her distracted state she had hardly noticed that Natsu wasn't even there anymore.

"Wasn't Natsu here just a minute ago?"

"Yes, but he said something about needing to go back home before leaving. We have some time and Happy can bring him back quickly if need be, so I allowed it."

"Huh. Ok. I guess that means it's just us two right?"

"Precisely. Now let's go. Wendy will make sure that they meet us there."

On their way to catch the next train out of Magnolia, Lucy took the opportunity to ask Erza more about their teammates.

"So I met everyone, but their magic powers are still somewhat of a mystery to me. I've come to associate Natsu with fire and Gray with Ice from their fighting last night, but that's about it. Would you mind filling me in?"

"Of course, not. It'd be my pleasure. You should become familiar with our different magic types since we're all on a team now, and even if you weren't, you are part of Fairy Tail. I use requip magic to my advantage. I use several kinds of armor and weapons to suit my needs in battle. Gray uses what is known as maker magic, ice maker magic to be exact as you've witnessed already. He's excellent at creating ice into inanimate objects. Natsu, as you mentioned, uses fire magic and Wendy uses sky magic. I should mention that Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel, are all dragon slayers. That leaves us with Happy and Carla, who both use Aera magic, and that's why they can fly."

Lucy had been enraptured by Erza's every word about her new teammates and was listening intently to every word, eager for information. Absentmindedly, she was also admiring Erza's armor and its flawless design as they made their way to the train station, but something that Erza said stopped Lucy in her tracks.

"Dragon Slayers? All of them?"

"Yes, we're quite lucky to have them all in our guild, really." Erza said no more on the matter and kept walking to Magnolia's only train station, which was now almost upon them. This new development gave Lucy a lot to think about. She slowly started walking again following Erza's lead, and although the remainder of their trip was quite, Lucy's mind was going a mile a minute.

_Maybe they know where Igneel is, or at least Igneel's son. I need to talk to them! The sooner the better too!_ Making up her mind to ask either Natsu or Wendy about their magic, Lucy felt a little more at ease. Finally, she might be getting somewhere.

Lost in thought as she was, Lucy wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings and walked straight into Natsu's back.

"Oi! Watch it!" Natsu said as he turned to face his assailant.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was a little distracted!" she apologized wholeheartedly.

"Oh, Luce! It's you!" His face broke into a big grin. "I thought it was someone else or something."

"No, just me. Distracted, tired and oblivious. Still, I'm really sorry."

"Nah, no worries. Look what I brought!" He pulled out the small bag that Lucy had left at his house. "I didn't think you would bring some clothes, so I brought you yours!"

"You think I'll need it? How long will this take?" She took the bag in her hands.

"Well we usually stay a few days for these kinds of jobs. I didn't think you would have known, so I got your clothes just in case." He shrugged as if it was no big deal at all.

"Wow. Thanks so much Natsu. You're right, I didn't even think about it." She hugged the bag to her chest trying not to think about Natsu and his gestures of kindness. She still felt flustered from this morning and he didn't even seem the slightest bit phased by any of it.

"So," he said, snapping her out of her reverie, "you ready? We're about to….board." Lucy noticed his crestfallen expression as he motioned his hand toward the train.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Not really. I just don't like traveling all that much."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She sympathized with him, but couldn't really understand why he was so against it. When they got on the train Wendy and Erza and the cats were already seated and Gray was getting adjusted.

"I didn't realize it was such a big group of us going. I really don't want to be a bother on the job, but I'll do my absolute best! I just hope that can be of some value."

"What?! You'll be fine Lucy! This is an easy job, just rounding up some bad guys. Piece of cake!" Nastu said. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her feel at ease. Smiling, Lucy sat in the empty window seat facing Wendy and Erza. Natsu picked up Happy, took his seat and put him on his lap, suddenly quiet. The conductor announced their departure and Gray finally took his seat next to Natsu. The train began moving slowly at first but soon enough they were on their way, traveling though the fields that surrounded Magnolia.

"Ugghhh! I hate this so much…" Lucy was looking out the window, admiring the view, and turned to Natsu when she heard his voice. She was prepared to ask him what was wrong but the words died in her mouth when her eyes fixed themselves on his face. The color had drained from his entire face and he was sweating bullets.

"Natsu!"

"Don't worry about him Lucy. The damned Pyro can't handle vehicles. We've all learned to ignore him." Gray said, not even bothering to look up.

"As callous as he sounds, he isn't wrong. Nastu has a terrible time in any vehicle and nothing seems to ever help him. We've all come to accept it, and let him deal with it as best he can," Erza added.

"Oh, I see… I still feel bad, he really doesn't look very good."

"That's very kind of you Lucy, but really, it's best to just leave him be for now. It's unavoidable." Lucy looked at Erza as she gave Natsu one final look and started small talk with Wendy and Carla.

She really did feel bad for the fire wizard, but if there was nothing to be done she would let the subject drop. Leaning her head against the window she realized just how tired she was. That nightmare hadn't let her sleep well. The nightmare. Up until now she had totally forgotten about it. She had been preoccupied by thoughts of Natsu all morning, but now that horrible, dark dream occupied every crevice of her mind. Suddenly she was cold on this warm and sunny day, and it was all she could do to keep herself from shivering. As much as the outcome terrified her, Lucy tried to remember her dream. Squeezing her eyes shut she went back into her mind, trying desperately to remember the dream, anything about it. Why did it scare her so much, even now, when she was awake she was terrified. Then suddenly –

"Lucy?" Her eyes flew open.

"Are you alright? You look pained, to put it mildly."

"Aye. Maybe she gets motion sick too," offered Happy.

"Huh? No, no, I'm just tired… I had a bad dream last night so I didn't sleep all that much."

"Were you remembering it?" Wendy asked.

"A little, yes. It wasn't very pleasant."

"Get some rest, we won't be arriving there for a few hours. We'll wake you when we get close," Wendy answered with a worried look in her eyes.

"Wendy's right," added Erza, "we will all need to be in top shape when we arrive. Go ahead Lucy, get some sleep." Lucy smiled and nodded. Sleeping did sound like a good idea, maybe getting some actual rest would also ease up her nerves. She closed her eyes and let the rumbling sounds of the train and the occasional talk of her companions lull her to sleep.

It felt like only minutes had passed since she had closed her eyes when Wendy's small hands were gently shaking her awake. Slowly opening her eyes to let them adjust to the light Lucy started to stretch and became aware of weight on her legs that hadn't been there before. She looked down expecting to find Happy or her bag, but instead found a pink head of hair on her lap. Instantaneously she felt the heat creep up onto her cheeks and she quickly lifted her head to look at Wendy with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry Lucy! Not long after you fell asleep, Natsu passed out, sick, and fell over asleep on your lap and we couldn't move him! We managed to sit him up right but he just fell right back down! We figured it wouldn't be a problem because you were also asleep. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The whole explanation just tumbled out of Wendy in one breath and Lucy couldn't help but giggle. The initial shock had worn off and she didn't feel as flustered anymore.

"It's ok, Wendy! I don't really mind, I'm just glad he was able to sleep some of it off." Hearing her response, Wendy visibly calmed down and didn't appear quite so frantic, although that didn't stop Lucy from feeling a little awkward. Where was she supposed to put her hand? She eventually settled for putting it on his shoulders and hoped that it looked inconspicuous and natural.

"So, are we almost there?" Lucy felt awake and refreshed. That nap had been amazing, although there was something nagging at her.

"Mhmm, just about. Gray and Erza went to get their stuff and go to the bathroom. They said they would get off from there. I guess that means we should wake him up, huh?"

"That's going to be hard. He usually isn't able to move 'til we stop," said a previously quiet Happy, munching away at his fish from Gray's empty seat.

"We have to try." Lucy began shaking his shoulder and calling his Natsu. "Hey Natsu, wake up, we're almost there. Natsuu."

* * *

He hated trains, he hated all moving vehicles, and now it felt like he was being shaken even more. He had finally begun to feel somewhat better and now this, but he didn't want to open his eyes for fear of feeling worse. He felt sick to his stomach, but whatever he was laying on was so comfortable that he never wanted to get up. He felt himself grab hold of his pillow and bring it closer so that it couldn't move anymore. The smell was infectious too. He took a big whiff and its effects on him were immediate. He felt instantly better after inhaling that sweet, light scent that fragranced his pillow. It even seemed somewhat familiar to him.

"Hey Natsu, we're here!"

"Go away Happy! I just wanna sleep!"

"Yeah, but Erza's gonna be mad…. Plus… well…" He heard the cat snicker.

Finally opening his eyes, Natsu was surprised to see the Exceed on the floor in front of him, sideways. He must have fallen asleep on the other seat.

"Man that was the most comfortable train seat ever." He said as he straightened himself up.

He looked over to where his head had previously been and was surprised to see a pair of legs there. He followed the legs up and up until he saw Lucy's very red face. He looked around at the group and they were all a little embarrassed, except for Happy who was still snickering. Was he missing something? Oh no! _Oh shit! Was I sleeping on Lucy's lap? That means… that means I grabbed her…and smelled her…and buried my face in her lap! _ The sudden realization hit him like a freight train. He felt intense heat make its way up and settle on his cheeks. There was no way he would ever be able to look at Lucy ever again.

"I'm sorry Luce! I didn't – I really didn't mean to, I didn't know that was you. Geez…I'm really sorry." That was the worst apology anyone had ever given, in his opinion. He wouldn't be surprised if she never spoke to him ever again.

Lucy lifted her hands to calm him down. Natsu had leapt from his seat the second he realized the situation. She had never seen him so agitated.

"Natsu, its fine, really, no harm done." She offered him a sincere smile that seemed to calm him down.

"But we really better get going or Erza and Gray are gonna be mad," she said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh! Yeah, we better get the hell outta here. I don't wanna deal with Gray's nagging."

The group got up at once and filed out of the train. Wendy seemed visibly rattled by the whole exchange, but besides that Lucy thought the whole event was behind them. It really was too bad in her opinion, she kind of enjoyed Natsu sleep on her lap, at least he felt better. _Yeah that's why it felt nice, because he felt better,_ she tried to lie to herself.

She was the last one in line to get off the train and as she was stepping down, she saw them. The vivid blue eyes that she had somehow managed to forget earlier. The blue eyes that were at the center of her vivid nightmare. Lucy froze as she focused on those piercing blue eyes. Why did they cause her so much fear?

She awoke from her momentary trance and saw Natsu giving her a strange look. She smiled at him so as not to have to explain herself and fortunately that seemed to be enough for the dragon slayer. Lucy didn't feel like having to explain herself, and it seemed completely irrational to be afraid of one single nightmare. No. There was no way she was going to let something like this hold her back.

She finally stepped off the train what seemed like hours later, though in fact it had only been seconds, and followed the group out of the train station. Fierce determination coursed through her mind and body. There was no way she was going to let this get to her. _Let's go catch some bad guys._

* * *

Well?! Tell me what you thought! Hope you guys liked it! Til next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys! I'm sorry it took this long to update but I've been..distracted for lack of a better word. Heh. BUT I've finally caught up with both manga and anime of FT and I've finally watched FMAB... I'm a sad excuse for a person -_- Anyways, this is kind of a short chapter, sorry. I also apologize if it's a little lame. On to the story!

* * *

Erza had checked them into a small nondescript inn for a few days. It was quaint and she didn't mind it, Natsu was another story. He couldn't stop complaining about the lack of an all you can eat buffet. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his antics, they were so carefree they made her forget all her worries. They dropped their bags off and met at the inn's small restaurant to discuss their strategy.

"I don't know if I should go with you guys, I really might just get in the way," Lucy mentioned worriedly.

"Nonsense. You'll be just fine, this will be a good experience to show you how we do things in this team."

"Team?"

"Yeah Lucy, you're one of us now, right?" offered Wendy.

"Ok, yeah!" Lucy could hardly keep the happy tears from her eyes or the soft blush that adorned her cheeks. Yes, she would do her best to be a worthy part of her new team.

"So given the information from our clients, the bandits will hit this town next within the next few days. We are to stop them before they even make it into the town. We will capture them in the town outskirts, there should be about ten to fifteen of them, and then we are charged with bringing them to the town's police headquarters. Any questions?"

"How do we know which day they'll show up?" Gray asked Erza.

"We don't, we'll take turns guarding the town entrance. It's fortunate that there is only one logical way for the bandits to enter the town, and that's through the trail in the surrounding forest, anywhere else is too dangerous or too conspicuous." Lucy was beginning to feel a little nervous about all this, but as she looked around the table, it seemed like she was the only one. Wendy and Carla were talking amongst themselves concerning the dangers and Natsu looked absolutely bored! _What did I get myself into?_

"You have a point, it looks like the town is in a giant bowl surrounded by the forest on top. So who's taking the first watch?" Gray asked.

"It doesn't really matter to me, but someone needs to be there at night and during the day. So we need to split up and head out for the first watch soon."

"Lucy and I should be on a team," Gray commented as he slung his arm over her shoulders and gave Natsu a knowing kind of smirk. "I'd love to get to know her better, Natsu's been hogging her all to himself." Natsu grimaced at his comment but said nothing.

"That's fine. Wendy Natsu and I will stay here and meet you there at dawn to switch places. They really shouldn't attack the town until late tomorrow or even the day after so I'm confident you won't run into any issues, but it's always a good idea to have a lookout. Is that alright with you Lucy?"

"Mhmm. I don't mind, I slept a bit on the train so I'm good to go," she responded, giving Erza a thumbs up.

"Great. You two get going and we'll see you in a few hours."

"Great, see you then. Let's go Lucy, we got a ways to walk to get out of town. See ya Natsu." Gray gave Natsu a backwards glance and a half wave that he wasn't fond of. Why did he have to go with Lucy? What if something happened and he couldn't be there for her? _ Well if Erza's right they should be ok, and icicle for brains wasn't totally useless either. Still….Lucy._ The thought of Gray and Lucy alone really annoyed him for some reason. Also why was Gray giving him all those weird looks? It's not like he and Lucy were together. _It would be nice though. She's so pretty and she smells so nice too. _

"Natsu, come on! Let's go sleep for a bit," Happy said, snapping him out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's go Happy." _I shouldn't be thinking about her like that anyways. We've only just met, plus what are the odds? _Either way he tried to justify it, he got an anxious feeling when he was away from her for too long, especially when they were out on a job like this. _Gray _better_ protect her._ Natsu followed Happy into the bedroom they were sharing with Gray and eventually managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Gray and Lucy had made it to the outskirts of the town and into the surrounding forest late that night. _He sure wasn't joking when he said it'd take us a while to get over here. That was quite the trek. I wonder what Natsu's doing? _Her last thought shocked her. Why was she thinking of Natsu all of a sudden? She couldn't afford distractions right now, she was on a job! Shaking her head she tried to rid herself of all thoughts concerning the distracting dragon slayer.

"You alright Lucy?" Gray asked her, noticing her odd behavior.

"Huh? Oh yeah! Yeah! You know…just thinking."

"Alright, if you say so," he said shrugging his shoulders and letting the subject drop.

They had already found a good look out place and had been there a few hours. Gray was more on the quiet and brooding side than Natsu she noticed, and they spend most of that time in companionable silence. Not that she minded, rather it had given her time to think about her plan of action. She needed to make a point of asking Wendy and Natsu about their magic and how they obtained it. She needed to know, maybe that would point her in the right direction.

In the times that they did talk, Lucy learned a lot about Gray and the guild. He had been there for several years now and how he and Natsu had been fighting since the day they met. He also managed to shed some light on his maker magic, and told her a little of his master. She could tell that it was a difficult subject so she didn't broach the topic any more than he was willing to offer.

_Huh, funny how even though he isn't here, everything always comes back to Natsu_ she thought idly.

"Hey if you want, you can sleep for a bit. I doubt anything's gonna happen, and if it does, I'll wake you."

"Are you sure? I'd feel kinda bad doing that."

"Yeah, go for it. I'll be a look out."

"Ok, thanks!" Lucy replied gratefully. In all honesty she was getting tired. Looking at the sky, she could tell it was well past midnight and talking only got you so far. She sat at the base of a tree and began to close her eyes.

"Wait. Here take this." Gray said, offering her his long white coat.

"No, I can't take that, you'll get cold, plus it will get dirty."

"Take it. I'm not worried about a little dirt, and I'm an ice wizard, remember? The cold doesn't bother me. Seriously, go on."

"If you're sure…"

"Positive"

"Alright. Thanks."

Lucy stood up from her spot and took Gray's coat from his outstretched hand. She slid her slender arms through the sleeves and wrapped it tightly around her chest. She was instantly warmer and also guilty. She looked over at Gray, whose back was towards her, and noticed that he didn't seem uncomfortable at all, in fact he seemed at ease. _Ice wizard huh? I guess it's ok then. _

As she observed the man in question she couldn't help but notice that he was very attractive and also very well built. _Still he's no Natsu._ Where on Earthland were these thoughts coming from? Why did everything that she thought about nowadays always come back to Natsu? Was she _that_ infatuated with him? Apparently. _There really is no point in denying it I guess. Talk about a major crush. _The more she thought about him, the more butterflies gathered at the pit of her stomach and the more she knew she was right. _I can't help myself. How I wish that there was even a chance to be with him. But I simply can't. Mother…._ With those thoughts in mind she drifted off to sleep.

It felt like only minutes had passed when Gray was waking her up.

"Hey. Lucy. Wake up." He jostled her arm softly as he called out to her.

"Mm. I'm awake. I'm awake." She yawned and stretched her arms upwards in response. Gray offered his hand to help her up and she took it gratefully, looking up at the sky in dismay.

"Wow! Gray! Why did you let me sleep so long?" she exclaimed as she saw the sun beginning to peak over the horizon.

"It wasn't a big deal, really. There was nothing going on, and you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you."

"Still, that wasn't fair."

"Like I said, no big deal Lucy, really."

"Ok, ok. Thank you," she surrendered. There was no point in arguing with him it seemed.

"You ready? C'mon let's go. Erza and everybody else will be here soon. We should go to the edge of the forest and meet up with them."

"Ok, good idea." Lucy brushed herself off and followed Gray through the woods.

"Oh, here," she took the coat off and handed it back to Gray. "Thanks so much for letting me borrow it."

"No problem."

Much like the night before, they spend their relatively short walk out of the forest in companionable silence. It wasn't long until they saw the other members of their group in the distance and she started running towards them.

"Lucy!" she heard Happy call. Lucy raised her hand in acknowledgement and greeting.

"Hey guys! How was your – Natsu?! Natsu, what are you doing?!" She cried as she saw the dragon slayer charging towards her with fists of fire. _What's going on? What did I do? He's gonna….he's going to kill me._ No sooner had she thought these words when Natsu flew past her and she noticed that Erza and Wendy were also preparing to attack. Lucy turned around and sure enough Natsu and Gray were already facing off against a small group of bandits and there was a larger group coming their way. The two wizards were back to back, each fighting two more while being simultaneously attacked long range by the group further behind.

"How did this happen? There was no sign of them all night!" Gray said in between blows.

"They must've gotten here as you guys were walking back. I smelled something odd the moment I saw you two. They were probably hoping to sneak past us, those bastards." Natsu said over the sound of fighting. One of his adversaries was already knocked down, but he had to keep dodging their long ranged attacks. "Damn it! This is gonna take forever!"

"Leave it to me!"

"Lucy?"

"Open Gate of the Man-Horse Palace! Sagittarius!"

"Good thinking Lucy!"Erza said as she saw the summoned archer. "You and Wendy stay back and provide back up. We'll take care of these ruffians. Re-quip! Heaven's Wheel!" Erza's regular armor changed into a beautiful but seemingly deadly replacement. Lucy noticed that this one let her control more weapons and thus allowed her to take on more enemies. If they hadn't been in the midst of battle, Lucy was sure that she wouldn't have stopped staring at the magnificent Erza in her natural habitat.

"Right! Sagittarius! Aim for those further back! Don't let them get to the others!"

"As you wish my lady!" Sagittarius said, firing multiple arrows at once. Each arrow was perfectly aimed to stop their targets' relentless attacks on Natsu and Gray and it allowed them to keep fighting without interruption. Wendy had been making sure that none of the bandits got past Natsu or Gray, meanwhile Erza had taken on the rest of them. It wasn't long before all the bandits had been stopped and defeated.

"Thanks Sagittarius, you did great," Lucy told him with a smile.

"My pleasure Lady Lucy!" Sagittarius saluted her and disappeared in a cloud of gold dust.

"Man! That sucked! I hardly broke a sweat! That's no fu – Lucy watch out!" Natsu yelled at her.

Lucy turned around, and sure enough there was one more bandit that mean to strike her down. Time slowed down as she saw her doom unfold before her eyes. She saw the man's sword start to come down on her as she started to reach for her keys but she knew she wasn't going to make it in time. She shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable blow, but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw another sword, Erza's sword, had blocked the descending weapon and knocked it out of his hands.

"Erza. Thank you, you saved me." Lucy's knees buckled and she landed with a soft thud on the ground. When she looked up she saw that everyone else had run up to help her as well.

"What are friend for?" Erza unequipped her sword and knocked the would-be bandit out with just a swing of her fist. "Now, round them up and take them to town." Gray followed Erza and started tying up the hands of those lying on the dirt road.

"You ok Luce?"Natsu asked, pulling her off the ground.

"Yeah. I'm ok, just a little rattled." She noticed that even though she was on her feet, Natsu still hadn't let go of her. He still seemed unsettled. "Umm I guess we should help Erza." She mentioned, trying to change the topic.

"Don't worry about it, I'll go help her and Gray. You stay here with Wendy and Carla." He sauntered off to help Gray and Erza finish up with the group of bandits. They still had a long walk ahead of them after this.

"You sure you're ok Lucy?" Wendy asked.

"Mhmm, I'm good. For a minute there I was just scared out of my wits." It was the truth too. Lucy had been frightened during those few moments, but she was relatively fine now. She also noticed that she wasn't very fatigued at all, despite having summoned Sagittarius for an extended period of time. At leas there was a silver lining in all of this.

"C'mon Wendy, let's help them finish up."

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Don't hate me for the terrible action bits! Please stay with me on this journey... I've written a bit more, out of order, but more, and I really like where this is heading. Thanks again for reading! -DarkEnvy


	9. Chapter 9

Hey! I'm SO sorry that this has taken literally FOREVER to post. I'm in the process of moving to Japan (eeeekk!) Since I've last posted I've been gypsying around all over the US with my cat haha. This month we actually get to finally leave hopefully, so that's why the delay. As I was typing this, I kinda felt like it was a little dry? Idk, sorry, but it was already written and the rest of the story goes with it. Maybe it felt that way because my head wasn't in the right place? Life's been crazy. I haven't even had time to add to the story itself, just what I had before. That being said, the uploads might slow down, hoping for one a month until I get settled. ANYWAYS, hah, sorry for the babbling, here's the next piece.

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Natsu looked for Lucy's face the moment the battle was over. He needed to know that she was alright. He lost all sense of awareness while he fought, and in doing so he never even thought of Lucy, but she seemed to be doing fine earlier near Wendy and Carla that he let himself relax.

"Man, I hardly broke a sweat. That's no fun." He said right before he found her and their eyes met for a split second before he noticed movement in the shadows. "Lucy! Watch out!" he heard himself say. He hadn't even realized he'd spoken the last words out loud. _No! I won't make it in time, and neither will she._ All this ran through his mind as he saw the man run up behind Lucy as she turned and reached for her belt. _Dammit! This can't be happening, we just met…she can't leave me yet _he thought. He didn't care if he was being selfish, but it didn't matter. He wanted, no, he needed more time with the celestial mage, with her bright and shining smile that he had come to cherish. Then suddenly, even as he ran towards Lucy, fist curled and ready, he heard the sound of clashing metal and realized that Erza had made it to Lucy in time. He'd been so focused on Lucy that he never even saw or considered Erza making it to her first. Natsu stopped just short of the celestial wizard, extremely relieved to still have her in one piece. He heard her thank Erza, but nothing registered with him until he saw Lucy hit the ground.

"You ok Luce?" he asked, as calmly as he could manage. Inside he was seething with unparalleled rage. _How dare they try and attack her from behind?! That bastard could've killed her! _

"Yeah, I'm ok, just a little rattled." He had offered her his hand earlier to help her off the ground, but he wasn't ready to let go just yet. She had a calming effect on him, one that he hadn't notice before.

"Umm, I guess we should help Erza"

"Don't worry about it. I'll go help her and Gray, you stay here with Wendy and Carla." Although he didn't want to, he turned around and went towards Gray and Erza.

They tied the bandits and lead them down towards the town. With over half the town staring, they took the would-be thieves and dropped them off at the town's police headquarters. Erza collected the reward and then divided the money among them evenly. _This should get us by for a while_. He was calmer now and the incident in the forest was just a bad memory now. Lucy was fine. He looked over at her and saw her laughing and smiling with Wendy and Erza. Just seeing her happy was enough to make him smile.

"Let's eat!" he went over to Luce and Wendy and put his arms around their shoulders. "I'm starving!"

"Yeah, Lucy and I haven't eaten yet either," Gray answered in agreement. _He shouldn't be allowed to call her that. That's my nickname for her._ He gave Gray a sour look that the ice mage certainly didn't miss.

"It's settled then. Let's go eat" Erza told the group. She headed towards the town center with Lucy, Wendy and the Exceeds close behind.

"What? You jealous, Natsu? Did you wanna spend the night alone with her?"

"Are you tryin' to pick a fight, ice princess?!"

"What if I am?! She ain't your girlfriend yet" He said as they butt heads.

"She's not my girlfriend, but you can't call her Luce! That's my nickname for her! You get your own!"

"Is that what this is about, Pyro? Her nickname? I'll call her whatever the hell I want."

"Damn you, you jerk"

"Fine, chill. I won't call her Luce…much."

"Agghhh! You ass!" Natsu really wanted to punch him out of spite for messing with him, but he saw Erza looking back and had to refrain. She'd really kick their asses if they got into it, especially in town.

"Let's go Pyro. Erza'll kick our asses if we get into it now" Gray said, echoing Natsu's thoughts.

"Fine. Let's go." Natsu walked towards the group with a pouty expression and it stayed with him until they reached the restaurant. The girls had decided on an all you could eat buffet! Oh yeah! He immediately perked up and began prancing around.

"Thank Lucy, she chose it" Erza said, hand on her hip as she watched his antics with sisterly affection. Abruptly Natsu stopped and turned to face Lucy and after a split second he gave her an ear-to-ear grin.

"Thanks Luce! You're the best!"

Apparently it was entirely possible to eat too much. Natsu and Happy had stayed behind at the restaurant long after the rest of the group had left and in doing so the duo ate more than they should have, they only really left because they were, in fact, kicked out. It was later that night and Natsu couldn't get to sleep because he was too full. Happy snored lazily next to him, having fallen asleep almost immediately after touching head to pillow. _Uggh. _He needed water. Mustering up the necessary effort, he rolled out of the inn's bed that he and Happy shared. Slowly, he waddled his way towards the shared bathroom between their rooms as he clutched his engorged belly.

When he reached the door he saw the light on and thought nothing of it. _Maybe Gray forgot to turn it off, that asshole. _He pushed the door open and that's when he saw her, right in front of him scrunched up on the floor wearing the pink pajamas that he had recently returned to her. Back on the wall, head on her knees, her golden hair acting as a curtain blocking out the rest of the world. He padded softly to the still unaware girl so as not to startle her, his heart full of worry.

"Lucy. Lucy, what's the matter?" He asked her as he crouched down to her level. In response to his simple question Lucy's head snapped up, she hadn't heard him approach, and what he saw pulled at his heartstrings.

Her big brown eyes were full of fear and anxiety. Her features looked frightened and she looked exhausted beyond her limit.

"Natsu?" she said wearily, as if she didn't quite register his presence in front of her.

"Yeah, Luce, I'm here. What happened?"

"I – I couldn't sleep" she answered, averting her eyes. He knew she was lying, she was terrible at it. She simply didn't have it in her to lie, she was just too pure.

"Heh. Liar." He paused to sit down in front of her. "You had another nightmare, didn't you?" She scrunched her eyes, as if hoping that would make it go away.

"Mhmm" she nodded, face still somewhat blanched.

"What was it about?" He asked, hoping to soothe her fears, but as he looked to her for an answer, the blonde only pursed her lips and shook her head.

"Mm-mm" was all she mustered.

"No? Ok. Do you mind if I sit with you?" When she didn't answer he scooted up to sit beside her, his back to the wall.

"I'm sorry Natsu, did you need the bathroom?" she asked after a minute of silence.

"Nah. I just came in to get some water. So how'd you end up here?"

"…well I went to sleep when Erza and Wendy did and after I, uh, woke up, I couldn't bear to be in the dark so I came in here." She put her head back on her knees as she answered him. Natsu could feel the shivers that ran through her slender frame. Gingerly, he put his arm around her shoulders, hoping that some warmth and comfort would help her calm down. It was odd, having his arm around her like this. Sure they were friends and this is what friends did, but with Lucy, somehow it felt different, like it meant a little more than simply some friendly reassurance. Slowly he felt the tension leave Lucy and she even sighed in what seemed like content.

"Thank you Natsu" she said softly, not bothering to pick up her head. He didn't mind though, he was glad he could help her in some small way at least. He relaxed next to her and thought back to her earlier expression, even the expression back at her apartment when he barged in. The palpable fear that had settled in her eyes made him furious. _What is making her so scared, and how can I make it go away?_ He thought. All he wanted to do was to protect her, but how could he when he didn't even know what it was he was supposed to protect her from?! It made his head hurt just thinking about it. He looked over at the celestial mage and his eyes softened. She already had a special place in his heart and he wasn't sure how she got there.

After what seemed like only minutes she lifted her head from her knees as she extended her legs and looked up at him. To his immense relief he saw no more fear in those big brown eyes. Hastily he took his arm from around her shoulders, suddenly hyper-aware of his skin against hers.

"I'm sorry if I kept you up Natsu."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I couldn't sleep anyways. Are you feeling better?"

"Mhm" she nodded. "Much better. But I'm afraid I've kept you up all night now."

"Really. It's no big deal," he grinned.

They heard noises coming from one of the bedrooms and soon Erza had joined them in the bathroom.

"Natsu? Lucy?" she looked puzzled at finding them both on the bathroom floor.

"I couldn't sleep and Natsu kept me company. Sorry we'll get out of your way" Lucy answered before Erza had a chance to even ask.

"Very well. Seeing as you two are awake we should start getting ready to leave soon then. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Oh, right." Lucy said as she and Natsu stood up and went back to their respective rooms.

He could've passed out on the bed next to Happy now, not too full for anything anymore, but he knew that now that Erza was up it was out of the question. So instead of falling asleep he did the next best thing. He grabbed a pillow and threw it at the sleeping Gray's face.

"What the – How dare you!" He was up in an instant, just like he knew her would be. _Nothing like an early morning brawl to get the day started._ In a fraction of an instant the two wizards were throwing fists at each other until Erza came in to scold them about not being ready to leave.

"Fine, but he started it!" said Gray, half naked as he headed towards the bathroom.

"I don't care, I'll finish it!"

"Yes ma'am!" the cowering fire and ice mage answered in perfect unison.

After breakfast the group of Fairy Tail wizards made their way, once more, to the train station. They had finished the job earlier than expected, but this town had no true interest for them, so they decided to go home early.

"Please can't we just walk?" Natsu whined, bringing up the rear.

"That would take us three days! This is only a mere three hours, besides you didn't seem to mind our last trip all _that_ much" Erza finished, with a smirk on her face. She turned just enough to catch a glimpse of Lucy's cherry red face and a bumbling Natsu sputtering close behind. _Damn her. Why did she bring that up? It's not like I had any control over that!_ He heard Gray snickering and all her wanted to do was to punch him square in the face. _That'll teach him, that jerk. _

"This way we'll get home sooner and we can have the day to ourselves."

"I can get my apartment in order!" Lucy piped in, more to herself than anything. "And go shopping! I need a few things, and with the money from this job I can go sooner than I'd hoped!" she continued in her own world. _She can be so weird sometimes _he thought.

"Ooh, can Carla and I come along? We need to get a few things ourselves."

"Yeah! That's be great!" Natsu spared a look at Lucy. She looked happy and excited at the prospect of going shopping with Wendy, but she also looked tired. He was convinced that whatever these nightmares were, they weren't normal for her. He'd hated seeing that raw fear in her eyes because he couldn't help her. _Maybe it'll stop_ he hoped, but something told him it wouldn't be as simple as that.

They bought their train tickets and went to the appropriate platform. As they boarded the train and got settled Lucy couldn't stop yawning.

"I'm sorry guys. I'm just so tired suddenly."

"Why? You went to sleep when we did" Wendy questioned.

"Yeah but I – uh – woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn't fall back asleep. I guess it's all catching up to me."

_Why wasn't she telling them the truth? _Natsu began to open his mouth to ask her when she shot him a pleading look. He conceded and shrugged. Fine, he wouldn't say anything… for now. They sat themselves much in the same manner as when they traveled to the city. Lucy, Natsu, and Gray on one side and Wendy, Carla, and Erza on the other. The only exception being Happy, who was now rather content on Lucy's lap.

"If you woke up early, you should sleep now," Gray said matter-of-factly.

"I plan to," she yawned, "if that's alright with all of you."

"I don't see why not."

"Nope, we don't mind either."

Lucy smiled. "Thanks you guys."

"Uggh. I hate trains. I'm going to die."

They had left the platform behind and were now making their way back to the city of Magnolia.

"You'll be fine. Just go to sleep like you did last time." Erza suggested.

"I can't. I'll end up om Lucy's lap again," he muttered, clutching his stomach.

"I – I mean – I don't mind. If it helped out at all, it's fine with me."

"No…it's…uggh…ok." He was beginning to feel worse.

"Ok then, but if you change your mind, I won't mind." When she finished speaking, the blonde closed her eyes and rested her head against the window.

"I'm gonna puke…" He had no choice but to try and make the best of it. Laying his head back on the seat he closed his eyes, but every slight bump from the train made his stomach churn.

It felt like hours had gone by and he still felt as sick as when their journey home began when he felt a weight fall on his shoulder. He dared to open his eye for a peek only to be met by a golden head of hair. _At least she's getting some sleep. _He closed his eye before the passing countryside made everything worse, but before he did he managed to catch a glimpse of a small smile playing on Erza's lip. He was reminded of an earlier conversation… to not hold back from caring for someone else. A sweet scent drifted towards his nostrils, relaxing him, lulling him to sleep. _Hmm… I could care for Lucy _those were his last thoughts before he nodded off to sleep.

"Hey you two, wake up. We're here!" she was being shaken.

"Hnn?" was all Lucy managed to mumble.

"Five more minutes" said a nearby voice.

She knew she had to wake up, and she wanted to, but she was so comfortable and so very warm. A sleepy smile spread across her face. She finally felt rested. She began stretching while simultaneously reaching for the warmth when her eyes flew open, all grogginess forgotten. In her sleep she had nodded off on Natsu's shoulder and now had instinctively been drawn towards him.

"Kyaa!" She immediately pulled away and saw Natsu's head drop. It seemed he had also leaned on her in his sleep.

"What? What?" He said with a disoriented expression.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!" she bowed her head in remorse.

"Huh? Luce? What happened? I'm so lost." He turned to look at her but she wouldn't look at him in the eye. Wendy was blushing, Gray smirking, and Erza had a great poker face.

"Will someone just tell me what's going on?" he said, annoyed.

"What's going on is that you and Lucy over there can't help but gravitate towards each other," Gray snickered and stood up. Most of the other passengers had already gotten off their train car.

"Ah shit, I'm sorry Luce."

"No! It was my fault this time! I fell asleep on you." She could feel her cheeks growing hotter. She hadn't meant to fall asleep on him at all! She was so embarrassed! She waited until everyone had left their seats except Natsu, and then began to stand up.

"Enh, it happens. I'm just glad you got some sleep." He had gotten up when she had and was grinning at her from ear to ear. "Seriously, don't sweat it."

She finally met his eyes and gave him a small smile. "Okay. I won't. Thanks Natsu."

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Thanks for the read! I hope to start writing and transcribing again soon! Let me know what you guys thought?


	10. Chapter 10

So I have not left the US yet, therefore I've had some time to post this. When I wrote it out I thought it was longer, sorry. These chapters always seem longer in my comp book.

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Their group parted ways after leaving Magnolia station. Everyone was eager to enjoy their unexpected free time, and Lucy was no exception. She slung her overnight bag over her shoulder and eagerly made her way home. _I'm so glad Natsu brought this for me, or I would have had no clothes. From now on I'll always bring a pack with me when we go out on a job. _

As she walked towards Strawberry Street she began thinking of all that awaited her. She didn't feel like unpacking, but she knew she had to. Tomorrow she would go out with Wendy and Carla and get the few things she needed to make the place decent. _Sheets, bed spread, curtains, some toiletries_ she went down the list she had been mentally creating. _Maybe Virgo wouldn't mind keeping me company – oh dammit! _She was so mad at herself. She had been so preoccupied on their job that she never talked to Natsu or Wendy! She could absolutely kick herself! How could she have forgotten to do something so vital! She huffed and puffed the rest of the way to her small apartment.

She pulled out her house keys and went to open the door, thanking her lucky stars it was still standing. Natsu had really done a number on her door two days ago. Just thinking back to that morning made her uncomfortable in a way she had never experienced. She felt like a caged animal, restless and wild. _I would love to have my way with him_. She stopped short, halfway through the door. _What on Earthland am I thinking?!_ After a long pause in her doorway to gather her scattered brain, Lucy finally made it inside. She dropped her pack by her trunk of clothes and made herself busy picking up the mess she left out from two days ago. As she put clothes back in the trunk, she'd find a spot for them later, and folded the sheet from the couch, she thought about Natsu.

She couldn't keep denying the fact that she was a little more than somewhat infatuated with him. Almost every thought she had lately always seemed to end up at Natsu. It didn't matter though, because as much as she would've liked to give way to her emotions, she simply couldn't. She had to honor her parents' wishes, and the alliance with the dragon king. It was her responsibility. Not to mention that she didn't know much about Natsu, nor how he felt about her, and on top of that they'd only known each other a few days! This could all very well be one sided. As much as she hated to do this, Lucy decided that it would be best to not think of Natsu in that way anymore. She didn't want to harbor false hopes when she knew it simply could never happen. She didn't know how she would do it, but she would nip this crush of hers in the bud.

She felt new resolve fuel her body. She could do this! _Who needs guys?!_ She giggled. She wasn't sure why that was the thought that ran through her mind, but she went with it. _Now let's get this place set up! _

"Open Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

"Princess?"

"Virgo!"

"Am I here for punishment?" asked the celestial being.

"If you count helping me clean and arrange my new apartment as punishment, then yes." Lucy would never understand the maiden's fascination with punishment, but it was one of her quirks and Lucy loved her for it.

"It will suffice." Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I don't really need help so much as I'd like the company, plus… I needed to talk to you or someone about something." She wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but she knew that these nightmares weren't normal. Virgo had already begun cleaning the kitchen but she stopped to look back at her.

"Is something wrong, Princess?"

"I'm not sure yet. Let's talk later."

"If you insist." Lucy nodded her assent.

It wasn't long before the kitchen and the living room were clean and Lucy and Virgo had migrated into Lucy's bedroom. Virgo had cleaned the bathroom and was now dusting around the room as Lucy hung certain articles of clothing from her trunk into an armoire. She would need to get a small dresser tomorrow when she was out with Wendy to be able to fit in the rest.

"Alright Princess, I think I'm done with my punishment." Another eye roll escaped Lucy.

"Great. I'm done here too. That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. Thank you Virgo, you can go now."

"Princess, you said you had something you wanted to talk about."

"Oh…right. Maybe another time."

"Very well then." Virgo bowed and disappeared from Lucy's room.

Lucy turned to go and get her few toiletries from her pack in the living room to put them in her bathroom. A bath was definitely on her mind. She also thought about doing some laundry later. Better get all her chores out of the way today, she'd be busy tomorrow with Wendy and Carla and she needed to talk to Natsu. _Natsu…no! Don't go there! _

"Hey Lucy!" she screamed in surprise. She also recognized the voice a fraction of a second later and turned, ready to bite his head off.

"Leo! Are you _trying_ to kill me?!"

"Sorry" he said apologetically while adjusting his glasses. "Didn't mean to scare you. Here let me help." In her fright of having been snuck up on, Lucy had dropped all her shower and bath stuff and now the bottles were scattered all over her floor. They both knelt down to pick up the bottles of sweet smelling products and put them on the small desk facing the window of her bedroom.

"Thanks Leo" he flashed her a smile that could make most girls swoon. "Soo… what're you doing here?"

"Virgo mentioned that you said you wanted to talk but then changed your mind. Also that you looked distracted and worried. I came to see if I could help."

"Not really, I'm not worried honestly, I was just lost in thought. A lot happened on this job." There was no way she was telling him about the nightmares… not yet anyways. Not when she wasn't sure what they were herself. There was no reason to get him or the others unnecessarily worried over something so silly.

"Oh?"

"Mmm…it seems that there are three dragon slayers in the Fairy Tail guild."

"That _is_ something. Apparently joining Fairy Tail was a step in the right direction."

"It definitely seems that way," she mused.

"Have you found out who they are yet?"

"Leo! It's only been, what? Three days, if that!" Lucy glared at him but sighed and conceded her information. "Yes, I actually do know who they are. No I'm not going to tell you yet. I want to talk to them first before we go turning their lives upside down."

"If you insist, Princess," if her last glare hadn't phased him this one certainly did. "Don't give me that look Lucy. That was very princess-like of you, truly. You resembled your mother very much." Hearing these words softened Lucy's gaze, even her features softened at the thought of being like her mother. She was trying so hard to do right by her but she felt like she was only fumbling aimlessly around.

"Leo…" she barely whispered his name. The weight of what they were trying to accomplish suddenly heavy on her shoulders.

"Yes Lucy?" The tone in her voice worried him.

"How much… how much time do we have before…?" She couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence, but the graveness that seeped into Leo's eyes told her that he knew exactly what she meant.

"We honestly don't know ourselves," he answered her. "There was no mention of that in the prophecy and I'm almost positive that when the alliance was forges no one knew either. The plan was only to be as ready as possible."

"Hmm. Alright. I just hope that we're ready… that I'm ready."

'Why do you say it like that?" With that Lucy finally opened up about something else that had been bothering her. She told Leo about their last job and about how if it hadn't been for Erza's swift sword skills she might already be dead.

"I felt so helpless! I couldn't even defend myself. I'm so glad Erza is as good as they say."

"Lucy," Leo said, visibly agitated. "Princess, please don't ever put yourself in that kind of dangerous situation ever again!" As touched as she was by his outburst, Lucy couldn't help but roll her eyes for the second time that day.

"Leo, seriously. It's fine, plus I need to take on these jobs to be a real member of the guild. I'm fine. I promise."

"Tch. Fine. I know I won't be able to dissuade you, but at least let me remind you to be careful. But I still don't understand how this has anything to do with the prophecy's outcome."

"Don't you see? I don't ever want to feel that helpless again! When we fight Acnologia -" Leo grimaced, "- oh don't give me that. I'm not going to be up high in some tower letting everyone else put their life on the line for me. This fight that's coming, it's for all of our lives, and that means I'm fighting too. But, Leo, for me to do that I'm going to need help. Your help, and Capricorn's too. I need you both to help me hone this power of mine. To increase my own magic power so as to be able to fight and properly defend others and myself." There she said it. She had said her piece. She had been mulling it over since yesterday's incident. She had to do this for herself but she knew she couldn't do it without her friends. Lucy dared to glance at Leo, sitting next to her, hoping to see something encouraging.

Once again Leo adjusted his glasses. Why he wore sunglasses indoors was beyond her, but that's just who he was. Finally he answered. "You're right."

"I am?" She was expecting a fight. Never in a million years did she think that he would have agreed with her so quickly on this.

"Yes. As much as I may not like it, you're absolutely right. About all of it. This is going to be a fight for all of our lives, and I've no right to stop you from doing what you feel you must." He got up from her bed and began pacing the room. "You're also right about your magic power. We can only be there for you so long as you can have us there, but it won't be easy."

"Like it ever is." This brought out a chuckle from her lion.

"Capricorn can train you to focus your spirit and magic, and I can help train your body."

"My body?"

"Yes, if you have a strong body the better to fight with the fleuve d'etoiles, also it will help with increasing your magic power."

"Makes sense. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow. I will go talk to Capricorn now. I'm sure he will agree to it, after all it is for the best, and also at the request of our princess. In the meantime, don't forget about the dragon's son."

"I know! I will find him. I mean, I've made some progress haven't I?"

"You're right, princess. It was wrong of me to doubt you. We all know your heart is in the right place. Now, before I leave. You should alternate between Capricorn and myself. It will be draining because you will have to call us and you will also be training, so only one of us, and only one lesson daily. Got it?"

"Yes, yes I got it. Now go before you lose your own magic."

"Impossible."

"Fine, leave before I smack it out of you."

"My, my, we have a feisty princess on our hands. That dragon prince will definitely have his hands full." Lucy could hear his laughter as his body shimmered and disappeared from view.

After he had gone, Lucy went over to her desk and gathered her shower supplies. In the bathroom she ran herself a hot bath as she mentally went over everything that just happened. She knew that despite his quick agreeance, Leo didn't like the idea of her in the midst of any sort of battle. As playful and as reckless as he seemed sometimes, he never messed around when it came to her safety. A fact she would always be grateful for, but this was different. There was no way in the heavens that she would let others fight for their lives and her own as she watched from a safe distance. They were her friends and her family, she would fight alongside them. It was only right.

She ran her hands through the water to test its temperature and added lavender and vanilla scented bath oil. She knew that training would be a lot of hard work but she was determined to never be or feel helpless or useless ever again. She was glad for the distraction that the bath afforded her after such a heavy conversation. She turned the water off, slipped out of her clothes and slowly made her way in.

"Mmm… this is heaven" she said to herself. Leisurely she sunk lower into the tub, allowing her body to adjust to the almost burning temperature. She felt her body relax in the heat of the bath as steam began to gently cover the bathroom mirror. She closed her eyes, shutting the rest of the world out and sighed contentedly.

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Hey guys! Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Like always, please feel free to tell me what you thought, but be kind about it.


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